34_vol4_epaper

US Affairs 10

Op Ed 20

Business 22

Spiritual Awareness 30

NEW YORK EDITION Vol.4 No.34 December 10-16, 2011 60 Cents South Asian Basketball League comes into its own

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Fai pleads guilty to spying for Pakistan’s ISI

2 LI Rotary Clubs hold Charter Night Celebration

Bollywood’s very own Peter Pan bids adieu

National Community, Page 7

Rotary Event, Pages 16-17

Tribute, Pages 18-19

Sehwag creates history with highest ODI score Indore: Virender Sehwag bludgeoned the West Indies for 219 in the fourth ODI, surpassing Sachin Tendulkar's unbeaten 200, to set the highest individual score in One-Day Internationals.

Sehwag's 149-ball carnage was laced with 25 fours and seven sixes. It took India to its highest ODI total of 418/5, and a facile victory by a margin of 153 runs.

India also clinched the 5-match series 3-1.

Sehwag got past Tendulkar's record with a four through point off Andre Russel. Sehwag's double ton came in 142 balls.

Tendulkar's 200 off 147 balls (25x4, 3x6) came against South Africa at Gwalior in February

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Indian army stages nuclear war games in Thar desert

By Prakash Bhandari/SATimes

Virendra Sehwag scored 219 against West Indies in the 4th ODI. 2010. He was the first cricketer to score a double century in ODIs. Sehwag got a life when he was on 171 with West Indies captain Darren Sammy dropping a sitter.

He was finally dismissed by Continued on page 4

Jaipur: It was a great surprise to see President Pratibha Patil in army fatigues recently. But she perfectly looked the Supreme Commander of the Indian armed forces when she visited the Thar desert in western Rajasthan to witness one of the largest military exercise conducted by the Indian army in the sector in recent years.

The President, along with defence minister AK Antony, General VK Singh, Chief of the Army Staff and Lt Gen AK Singh, General Officer Commanding in Chief Southern Command, visited the forward areas in the desert sector to witness Exercise Sudarshan Shakti.

The military brass points to India’s nuclear doctrine -- that nuclear retaliation to a first strike will be massive and designed to inflict unacceptable damage. India even retains the option to retaliate with

Zardari to stay under medical care in Dubai for quite a while Dubai: Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari will continue to be under medical observation in Dubai and it may last even more than two weeks before he returns home, Gulf News has reported.

Zardari, who was admitted in the American Hospital in Dubai on Tuesday night, was moved from the ICU to a room on Thursday, his close aide in the hospital said. He also underwent some more tests on Thursday for the third consecutive day.

Officials at the Pakistan Embassy were unable to say when the president will return home and declined to comment further.

"It can take two days or even more than two weeks, it all depends on what doctors advise him," one of his aides said. He may leave the hospital and rest in his house under observation of doctors, but we want him to stay here because he needs rest," he said. After speculations died down of Zardari's resignation on the pretext of illness, a top official in Pakistan said that Zardari may not return to Pakistan until the end of this

Exercise Sudarshan Shakti by Sudarshan Chakra Corps. nuclear weapons if its forces anywhere are attacked with biological or chemical weapons.

This exercise was to validate the concept of an Continued on page 4

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Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari month because of the expected decisions on ‘memogate' scandal; the National Reconciliation Order, and the release of Abbottabad Commission report on Osama Bin Laden's killing by US forces.

Meanwhile, the US discounted rumors of a "silent coup" against Zardari.

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December 10-16, 2011

Cuomo pushes lower taxes on middle class in State

As Governor Andrew Cuomo has opposed tax increases

Albany: Governor Andrew M. Cuomo and legislative leaders have announced that they had reached an agreement to overhaul the state’s income tax, creating a higher tax bracket for the highestincome residents and reducing the tax rate for millions of middleclass New Yorkers.

The deal announced Tuesday comes 25 days before the expira-

tion of the state’s so-called millionaires’ tax — a surcharge on those earning over $200,000 a year. The proposed tax overhaul would result in most residents being taxed next year at a lower rate than this year.

The long-term impact on the wealthy was described by some as a cut and others as an increase: beginning next year, the highest-in-

Indian envoy turns to Facebook to stress UN reforms United Nations: India's Permanent UN Representative Hardeep Singh Puri turned to Facebook terminology to point to the danger of the critical issue of UN General Assembly revitalization becoming an "event" with a ritual annual update. "Whenever Facebook users want to express themselves through a post, they get feedback from their friends who in turn express themselves through three basic options: 'Like', 'Comment' and 'Share,' he noted during a joint debate Wednesday on revitalization of the work of the General Assembly (GA).

"The best posts usually get large number of 'Likes' and are 'Shared' repeatedly, but the good ones get an equally large number of 'Comment' because there is still scope for further improvement," Puri said."Spoken in Facebook terminology, at present, GA revitalization is

highly 'commented' upon, much 'liked' but rarely 'shared,' he said.

"There is even the danger that if not acted upon quickly, the only function that would be applied to GA revitalization is that it would be consigned to the 'event' category with its 'status' updated once a year!" Puri warned.

UN reform is a process that has to evolve with the evolving international situation, he said stressing the "need to discuss substantive measures that would strengthen the role of General Assembly as the chief deliberative, legislative, policy-making and representative body of the international community."

"The General Assembly can expect India's constructive support and participation in these efforts," he said.

Countries struggle to reach deal on climate talks at Durban Durban: With just a day left before the UN climate change talks end, key players BASIC (Brazil, South Africa, India and China), the European Union (EU) and the US Thursday held backdoor meetings to break the logjam over a legally binding regime, but there has been no success so far.

Indian Environment Minister Jayanthi Natarajan said she is "cautiously optimistic" about UN climate change talks arriving at a settlement as the ambition levels of developed countries are "quite high".

The US denied blocking a global deal, saying it supports the EU's proposal for a future agreement but the small island nations and the African Union lashed out at the rich countries for not being serious in finding a solution to the problem.

"It is completely off base to suggest the US is proposing it will delay

action to 2020. The EU has called for a roadmap and we support that," US climate envoy Todd Stern told reporters here.

The EU had Wednesday criticized the US and China for "hijacking" the climate talks in Durban by not agreeing to a legal treaty to bring down greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.

Stern said the US was deeply engaged in tough issues such as deciding on a second phase of the Kyoto Protocol -- the only legal instrument that caps emissions by rich nations - and the shape of a strong future deal.

"The UN summit was rapidly setting up a green climate fund to help developing nations adapt to climate change, ways to share green technology and help poor countries adapt to climate change," he said.

Several closed door meetings between BASIC, the US and the EU

were held to stitch a deal favorable to all the countries.

"I am less optimistic about the outcome at Durban and my hopes are somewhat tempered as there are 24 hours left and it is an uphill task.

There is little convergence between the issue of an ambition level by EU, US and implementation gap that is to be addressed by developing countries," Natarajan told reporters here.

"We have strained every nerve and met many parties.

But I cannot see any convergence or any light at the end of the tunnel," she said.

The Association of Small Island States (AOSIS) said they are not happy with the negotiations in Durban and countries don't seem to be serious enough to arrive at a conclusion.

"We believe in multilateral process but the discussions here are going around in circles.

come earners will be taxed at a lower rate than at present, but at a higher rate than had been expected with the expiration of the surcharge.

The changes would net $1.9 billion in annual revenue; the expiring surcharge had been generating about $4 billion a year.

It was a piece of political craftsmanship that allowed both Democ-

rats and Republicans to declare victory.

Mr. Cuomo, who as governor has repeatedly opposed tax increases as well as proposals to renew the surcharge, released a video message on Tuesday saying that the new top bracket would help address the projected $3.5 billion budget gap that the state is facing next year.

Harvard cancels Swamy’s courses Washington/New Delhi: The Harvard University in the US has cancelled Janata Party leader Subramanian Swamy's summer courses over his controversial article in a Mumbai newspaper, prompting him to retort that the move "stifles personal opinion".

"It is a dangerous principle that stifles personal opinion," Swamy told reporters in New Delhi Thursday.

In a message on Twitter, Swamy added: "I have been held accountable at Harvard for what I write in India. This means India studies' Witzel and Eck are accountable in India. Healthy?"

Michael Witzel and Diana L. Eck are professors at Harvard.

Harvard had cancelled Swamy's summer courses over his controversial article advocating destruction of hundreds of Indian mosques and disenfranchisement of non-Hindus in India.

After a heated debate, a meeting of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences Tuesday voted to remove two Summer School courses - Economics S110 and Economics S-1316 - taught

by Swamy, according to the Harvard Crimson, the campus newspaper.

Swamy received significant criticism for his op-ed article last summer in the Daily News and Analysis calling for the destruction of mosques, the disenfranchisement of non-Hindus in India who do not acknowledge Hindu ancestry, and a ban on conversion from Hinduism, Harvard Crimson said.

"Swamy's op-ed clearly crosses the line by demonizing an entire re-

Subramanian Swamy snubbed after his controversial article in a Mumbai paper ligious community and calling for violence against their sacred places," Comparative Religion professor Diana L. Eck was quoted as saying.

Harvard has a moral responsibility not to affiliate itself with anyone who expresses hatred towards a minority group, she said. "There is a distinction between unpopular and unwelcome political views."

Although Harvard chose to stand

by Swamy in August in an effort to affirm its declared commitment to free speech, faculty members shot down his two courses, effectively removing him from Harvard's teaching roster, the campus paper said.

Many faculty members determined Swamy's article was not a product of free speech but of hate speech.

"Swamy's position on disenfranchisement is like saying Jewish Americans and African Americans should not be allowed to vote unless they acknowledge the supremacy of white Anglo Saxon Protestants," said History professor Sugata Bose.

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December 10-16, 2011

30 NATO oil tankers torched in Pakistan Islamabad: At least 30 NATO oil tankers and containers were torched in a rocket attack at a terminal in Pakistan Thursday night, state-run television network PTV reported.

There were no reports of any casualties.

Unidentified people attacked with rockets the private container terminal at Kharot Abad area near Quetta, capital of Balochistan province, Xinhua said. Firing also followed the rocket attack.

More than 35 NATO oil tankers and containers were parked at the terminal when the attack took place, said local media reports.

Six fire engines were dispatched to the site after the attack was reported.

No group has claimed responsibility for the attack.

Thousands of NATO supply convoys are stranded in Pakistani territory following the government's decision to block the supply lines

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Obama names Preeta Bansal to key post Washington: President Barack Obama has named Preeta D. Bansal as a member of an independent agency promoting improvements in the efficiency, adequacy, and fairness of government procedures.

"I am proud to appoint such impressive individuals to these important roles, and I am grateful they have agreed to lend their considerable talents to this Administration," he said naming two members of the Advisory Council of the Administrative Conference of the US. "I look forward to working with them in the months and years ahead."

Bansal joins over two dozen Indian-Americans serving the Obama administration in high places.

As the General Counsel and Senior Policy Advisor for the Office of Management and Budget from 2009 to 2011, Bansal was

Preeta Bansal also a government member of the Council, serving as vice chair from 2010 until 2011.

She is the former solicitor general of the State of New York and a former law clerk to US Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens.

2 dead in Virginia Tech shooting Blacksburg, VA: A police officer was among two people shot dead Thursday on the Virginia Tech campus, prompting an intense search and university-wide lockdown that lasted about four hours.

About 4:30 p.m., the school announced on its Twitter feed that "law enforcement agencies have determined there is no longer an active threat or need to secure in place. Resume normal activities."

Authorities did not directly answer questions late Thursday afternoon as to whether this second person to be fatally shot -described on the school's website simply as "an unknown male subject" -- is the prime suspect in the police officer's shooting. Virginia State Police Sgt. Bob Carpentieri said only that "investigators feel confident that they have located" the officer's shooter.

Indian Army Story Continued from page 1 enhanced Theatre offensive in a Joint Service environment, as well as operational and transformational effectiveness of Sudarshan Chakra Corps. This was done under the backdrop of the study on Transformational and Theatrization of Combat and Support Services of Indian Army, for which the Army Chief and Southern Army Commander were the main proponents. President Patil reviewed the maneuvers of the Sudarshan Chakra Corps. She was briefed by Lt Gen AK Singh and Lt Gen Sanjiv Langer, Corps Commander Sudarshan Chakra Corps.

They emphasized the unique feature of this exercise in the context of jointmanship between the Southern Army and its counterparts South Western Air Command (SWAC) wherein, the inter service operability focusing on seamless air-land battle was tested and re-configured to suit the constantly changing operational requirements. Many new concepts like the employment of the strike Corps Aviation Brigade, fighting against a backdrop of Nuclear Biological Chemical (NBC) environment and tailor made logistics system to sustain any offensive were also practiced and validated.

More than 30,000 Indian troops participated in the massive desert war game along the Pakistan border earlier this summer. The exercise’s epicenter was in Bikaner sector in Suratgarh. The six-day exercise coded Vijayee Bhava (Blessed To Win) used 250 tanks and 1000 artillery guns and helicopters.

Helicopters were aimed to train the troops in the actual desert conditions and test their warfare synergy.

The Indian army, the world’s fourth largest in terms of personnel, has conducted 11 major military exercises along Pakistan’s border in

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the past six years.

“New concepts have emerged in the modern day warfare and the new age technologies particularly in the fields of precision munitions, advance surveillance system and networking have to be evaluated in these exercises. The exercise is being conducted to harness the skills of the troops to harness the technological advancement in military warfare” said Col SD Goswami, defense spokesman.

“Merely equipping the forces by acquiring of hi-tech weaponry and combat support systems for enhancing the fire power of troops is not enough, it’s essential to train and prepare them for its actual use during a war,” Col Goswami added.

All major combat maneuvers are conducted under the NBC (nuclear, biological, chemical) overhang. The exercise primarily revolves around the Bhopal based 21 Corps, one of army’s three principal strike formations, tasked with taking the battle right into enemy territory. The exercise envisages maneuvers, in a simulated battlefield, by composite combat entities supported by a wide array of force-multipliers.

Sudarshan Chakra Corps with the blend of trained manpower, various force multipliers such as attack helicopters, state of the art battle tanks and long range Artillery and Networking ability had massive exercise in the desert. The exercise unfolded into an integrated Theatre and Air Land Battle in which joint plans and joint execution enabled by integrated networks were the high points.

Sehwag Story Continued from page 1 Kieron Pollard, caught by substitute Anthony Martin at long on.

Sehwag's top score before this innings was 175 against Bangladesh in the World Cup opener earlier this year.

Photographs: Gunjesh Desai/ masalajunction.com.

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December 10-16, 2011

Issar takes message against discrimination to people’s doorsteps

By Ashok Ojha/SATimes Jackson Heights, NYC: Puneet Issar, the director of ‘I Am Singh’ took an unusual step to take the message of his film to the doorstep of people who are not typical film goers --the business owners of Jackson Heights, Queens. He and his team spoke at an event here on the film hoping his efforts will turn into a movement against racism and discrimination in America.

Issar said, “My film is not about the turban alone, even if it is inspired by true incidents in post-9/11 USA. It is about the dignity of ordinary people with roots in South Asia where wearing a turban is more than a religious symbol.”

Emphasizing that ‘I am Singh’ captures the battle for equality and justice for everyone in the true American spirit, Issar said that he played the role of a Sikh policeman in the film who was dismissed for refusing to stop wearing his turban.

Nita Bhasin, publicist of the film shot entirely in USA, said it was released in 60 theaters around USA and was appreciated by audiences. She added that Issar was so committed to the central theme of the movie -- a message against discrimination based on identity, real or mistaken – that he was visiting community centers and places of worship to create awareness about human rights and encourage them to fight against any kind of discrimination in the society.

“So far we are pleased with the response,” said Issar. He expressed disappointment that victims of mistaken identity in USA were not compensated by

5

Puneet Issar, writer-director of ‘I Am Singh’, addressing merchants of Jackson Heights in Queens, NYC. (Photo by Ashok Ojha) the US government at par with those who lost their lives in the attacks on World Trade Center.

Issar has enjoyed a successful career since 1983 as an actor and director in about 200 movies and TV serials. ‘I am Singh’ has received rave reviews in papers such as The New York Times and Los Angeles Times. “Please don’t mistake it as a documentary,” cautioned Issar. “It is the story of a young man caught in the middle of a conspiracy, who fights for justice for his family, for his Indian and Sikh identity.”

The Jackson Heights Indian Merchants Association president Shiv Dass, Subhash Kapadia and others attended the meeting.

East-West School of Dance to celebrate 30th anniversary Flushing, NY: On December 18, The East-West School of Dance will be concluding year-long festivities by hosting an extraordinary Kathak dance event to celebrate its 30th year anniversary.

Directed and choreographed by Pandit Satya Narayana Charka, the program will show case 30 years of his dedication to the art of Kathak, an ancient Indian dance form. Many of his talented and dynamic dancing students will perform and portray Parampara, the traditional values of this great art form inspired by Lucknow Gharana of Kathak Dance in India.

The event will be held at the Ganesh Temple Auditorium of The Hindu Temple Society of North America here from afternoon 2 pm. The entry is free to all.

Pandit Satya Narayana Charka is an esteemed dancer, choreographer, and teacher specializing in North Indian Classical Kathak dance. He has studied under prestigious gurus like Shri Shukla, Smt. Maya Rao, Sri B. D. Verma, Shri.

Nataraja Ramakrishna, Pt. Shambhu Maharaj, and Pt. Birju Maharaj.

S.N. Charka’s career as an educator was built on his reputation as a talented dancer and choreographer. He earned the title of Best Classical Dancer at the AllIndia Dance Competition, and his performances have earned standing ovations from audiences the world over. He has choreographed dozens of works over the last thirty years, which are regularly performed by companies in India, Japan, Australia, the Fiji Islands, and America. Recently, his multicultural staging of the Ramayana have appeared annually at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Even with these numerous accolades, Charka’s most remarkable role has been as a teacher and advocate for Kathak dance and traditional North Indian culture. He has worked in the New York area and beyond for the past three decades to enrich the artistic practice and understanding of those familiar with Kathak and to spread its beauty to those yet unfamiliar with it.

Since 1981, he has been the director of the East-West School of Dance at the Ananda Ashram in Monroe, NY.

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SABL a slam-dunk for desi community

By Vikas Girdhar/SATimes New York: The echoes of bouncing basketballs, cheers of triumph and swishing sounds of made baskets are filling Sunday afternoons for many South Asians in New York.

The South Asian Basketball League (SABL), formed in 2005, is bringing together many desi young adults in the New York area for competitive basketball games. The league is a division of South Asian Community and Sports, a non-profit New York-based organization. The SABL, while designed for participants to have fun at their leisure, is structured around teaching discipline and respect for the game and its players.

The SABL recognizes, above all, the importance of shaping its players’ levels of sportsmanship. The

An ongoing practice session. league’s website explains core prin- unite the various cultures and comciples: The “SABL emphasizes munities that make up the South character before talent, promoting Asian framework through the power brotherhood through sports and ful- of sports.” filling a gap that has existed in the League Commissioner Ammad community for years. Our aim is to Sheikh and Official Coordinator

Gujarat MLA promises friendlier investment regime for NRIs

By Ashok Ojha/SATimes Edison, NJ: Dissatisfaction over policies affecting NRIs was raised yet again by a score of New Jersey based community organizations while felicitating Devu Sinh Chauhan, a young MLA from Gujarat in Edison, NJ. The speakers urged him to prevail upon Gujarat government to amend its NRI policies to make foreign investment friendlier. “In spite of all claims made by the Modi government, we feel official bureaucracy is blocking the process of investment in properties,” said Anil Patel of Indian Cultural Society. Chauhan promised

Devu Sinh Chauhan (third from left), a Gujarat MLA was felicitated by community organizations in New Jersey. (Photo: Gunjesh Desai) that he will personally take up the Congress Party, USA, also participatissue with Chief Minister Narendra ed in the event.

Modi.

Chauhan, who is visiting USA to Representatives of the Federation study democratic institutions here, of Senior Citizens of North America, was elected from Mater constituency South Gujarat Pragati Mandal, in Gujarat’s Kheda District, which Overseas Friends of BJP, Indian has successfully eliminated sale of gutka, known to cause oral cancers.

Many speakers including NJ Assemblyman Upendra Chivukula spoke highly about the zeal and commitment of the younger generation of Indian politicians and hoped that they would overhaul the Indian political system. “Chauhan belongs to this generation from whom Gujarat has great hopes,” said Piyush Patel, a leading philanthropist. Atma Singh, president of Indian Congress Party, highlighted the need to ‘express our identities as Indians irrespective of which part of India we came from.’

He said that it was the right time for New York City Public Advocate Bill DeBlasio was honored by Indian the Indian American community to National Oversees Congress, Punjab, NY chapter. Seen in the picture assert our rights with one voice.

INOC president Pam Kwatra (extreme left) and Bill DeBlasio OFBJP’s Jayesh Patel also spoke.

(7th from right) at the event.

Kyd Papaiya have made it a point to create a league that does not tolerate profanity or obscene gestures, which are common occurrences in professional sports. Referees are trained to penalize such behavior with frequent warnings, technical fouls and ejections. Two technical fouls, called on a player for unacceptable behavior, results in an automatic ejection from the game.

Games are played weekly from November through April, including playoffs for qualifying teams. “I think it’s a great way to bring young people with a common interest together, especially since we are from the same ethnic communities,” says Arvin Thachara, 26, of Roslyn.

Thachara, who is playing in the SABL for the first time and plays power-forward for the Wolverines, believes it’s a great overall basket-

ball experience. “I personally love how organized and well-structured the league is; it’s so different from just playing with your friends in the park. You can tell the league cares about aspects of the game that go beyond ‘who wins.’ I’ve played in other leagues before and it’s different with the SABL. Here, it’s more about being a good sport and working with your team to achieve a new goal every week—there’s an emphasis on conduct.”

Teams are formed independently and give a total sum of $1500 toward the league for expenses such as regulation, court use and referee pay. Games are played in the Queens High School of Law Enforcement in Queens, New York.

Two 20-minute halves make up each game, with a five-minute halftime period.

Milan organizes a fundraising gala

President Nilam Singh with seniors at the annual gala.

Hicksville, NY: Milan’s second Milan seniors. They showed energy annual fund raising gala dinner took and grace in a Bollywood type perplace at ‘The Sterling’ on November formance on some nostalgic num18. More than 350 people attended bers mixed with some recent beats. the evening function. The event was Milan is a program ‘by the sena huge success and a lot of commu- iors, for the seniors.’ Some of them nity leaders including doctors, suc- were honored by the executive comcessful businessmen, representatives mittee for their participation and of peer organization such as the selfless help in running various India Home, seniors and other dig- duties at the program. nitaries graced the occasion with Dr Nilesh Soni anchored the event their presence. and all guests including more than The evening started with the inter- 50 Milan seniors were made aware generational lighting of the lamp. of future projects of Milan – such as This was followed by a beautiful the 2nd innings club and happy feet dance performance for ganesh van- program. Along with the noble dana performed by two young cause of raising funds for enhancing Herricks ladies. the quality of life of seniors, it was a The highlight of the evening was a celebration of respect and caring for surprise dance performance by elders.

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December 10-16, 2011

Ghulam Nabi Fai pleads guilty to charges of spying for ISI Washington, DC: Kashmiri separatist leader Syed Ghulam Nabi Fai, accused of being an ISI agent and trying to influence American policy on Kashmir has pleaded guilty on federal charges of spying for the Pakistani spy agency.

Fai also acknowledged receiving money from the Pakistani spy agency through clandestine routes and causing revenue losses.

Pleading before the US Eastern District Court of Virginia on Wednesday, Fai pleaded guilty and agreed to the charges of federal prosecutors that he received at least $3.5 million from ISI between 1990 to 2011. This resulted in a revenue loss of between $200,000 to 400,000 to the US government.

His sentencing is scheduled for March 9. Fai agreed before the court that he was in direct contact with the ISI officials including the head of its security directorate. He conceded receiving talking points from ISI regarding what to say and write. He agreed that he received directions from ISI with regard to which specific individuals to invite for KAC conferences.

Kashmiri separatist leader Ghulam Nabi Fai Fai, 62, has consented to forfeit all four bank accounts in his name or in the name of KAC totaling about $140,000. He also agreed before the court that he had send to the ISI annual budget of the KAC for approval. He continues to be under house arrest till the time of his sentencing.

Mumbai to host Wharton India Economic Forum Washington, DC: The Wharton India Economic Forum will be held in Mumbai on January 9, the first time the event is being held outside the US, which the organizers said was aimed at celebrating 65 years of India’s independence and 20 years of liberalization. Among the confirmed speakers at the forum are Infosys Chairman, K.V. Kamath, Piramal Enterprises Chairman, Ajay Piramal, and former Temasek Holdings India Head, Manish Kejriwal.

“The conference will bring together leaders from around the world to highlight India’s key

7

strengths — from innovation and business to arts and culture, while opening up for debate the issues India must overcome to continue its upward trajectory and remain competitive in today’s global environment,” the Wharton India Economic Forum (WIEF) said in a statement.

Panelists will participate in numerous panels on subjects including finance, infrastructure, entrepreneurship and consumer retail, it said.

WIEF is an annual student-run India-centric conference hosted by the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.

Muslim body seeks probe on attack on Sikh Washington, DC: The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) has sought an FBI investigation of a possible bias motive for the stabbing of a Sikh man at Fresno Yosemite International Airport in California.

The Sikh man in his mid-50s was stabbed while waiting in a public area near the Transportation Security Administration terminal Sunday evening, a local newspaper reported citing Fresno Police.

The suspect, who was apprehended by police, is described as a 26-year-old white man. The victim was treated for non-life threat-

ening injuries and then boarded his flight. Police say there were no words exchanged between the two men before the attack.

"We ask local law enforcement authorities and the FBI to probe a possible bias motive in this case," said Basim Elkarra, executive director of the Sacramento Valley office of CAIR. "Sikh men who wear beards and turbans as part of their faith are often targeted by bigots who mistake them for Muslims."

He noted that a Hindu man was assaulted last month in San Jose, California, by a group of men who called him a "terrorist."

Major Kalsi receives Bronze Star Medal New York: The U.S. Army's first turbaned Sikh soldier in over 30 years returned home from Afghanistan and received a Bronze Star Medal for his service.

Major Kamaljeet Singh Kalsi received the Bronze Star Medal for "exceptionally meritorious service as an emergency medicine physician" while deployed in Afghanistan during the first half of the year. The Bronze Star Medal is the fourth-highest combat award in the U.S. Armed Forces.

In support of the award, an official recommendation from Major Kalsi's superiors cites his resuscitation back to life of two patients who were clinically dead on arrival; his "expert" emergency care of over 750 soldiers and civilians; coordination of 5 mass casualty exercises; and his general "commitment and leadership above and beyond that of his general duties."

To his credit, Major Kalsi even set up camp-wide Internet access for over 200 soldiers at Camp Dwyer in Helmand, Afghanistan, where he was

Major Kamaljeet Singh Kalsi deployed. After his service, he was promoted from Captain to Major.

"It continues to be my honor to serve my country," said Major Kalsi. "I look forward to service as duty calls."

Current U.S. military policy forces Sikhs to remove their religiously-required turbans and facial hair in order to join the military. Over the past two years, the Army granted Major Kalsi and two other Sikh soldiers individual accommodations, which allow them to maintain turbans and beards.

Another quick-fix for US' broken immigration system Washington, DC: Indians chasing the "American Dream" had reason to be happy about a law on the anvil that would help techies get the coveted green card faster but a broad fix of the US immigration system is still distant.

The system is widely acknowledged to be broken, but there is little agreement across the political divide on how to tackle the ever growing lines of those seeking entry legally or address the problem of nearly 11 million illegal immigrants, including some 200,000 Indians.

In a rare show of bipartisan support the so-called "Fairness for High-Skilled

Immigration Act", eliminating per-country caps on employment-based visas and instituting a first come, first served system, sailed through the Republican controlled House with a vote of 389-15 last week.

Currently each country, be it India or Iceland, can claim only 7 percent of the 140,000 work visas issued annually.

The removal of country caps would essentially shorten the queue for well-educated people from populous countries like India and China and cut the expected wait time for green card for skilled Indians from 70 to ten years in some cases.

The legislation that sidesteps the hot topic

of illegal immigration and doesn't increase the total number of visas provided in a year, was expected to fly through the Democratic controlled Senate too.

But then Chuck Grassley, the top Republican on the Judiciary Committee, who has in the past worked overtime to prevent what he calls the misuse of H1B visas coveted by Indian techies, stepped in the way.

Grassley, like most other Republicans takes an even tougher stand on the illegal or undocumented immigrants as liberals call them. Opposed to "amnesty", he wants them to "earn" any legal status by assimila-

tion efforts such as learning English or paying back taxes.

President Barack Obama, on the other hand has been plugging what goes by the acronym of DREAM Act that would provide conditional permanent residency to those graduating from US high schools who came as minors.

Jason Chaffetz, the main sponsor of the "Fairness" bill says he had tried to find a "sweet spot, even if small" to fix the legal immigration system. But politicians would have to find a much larger sweet spot to find a real solution - and that may be a tough call in a presidential election year.

8

National Community

December 10-16, 2011

TheSouthAsianTimes.info

TiE spreads wings, now funds start-ups New York: The Indus Entrepreneurs (TiE) , twenty years after they came together as an ethnic professional network, are now funding new ventures — and not just for people from back home.

In its first year of existence, TiE Angels has invested in 11 companies, with a total of about $4.5 million. Half the companies are headed by people of Indian origin. The rest are Silicon Valley entrepreneurs of different ethnicity.

“What it reflects is that our charter members, who are mostly Indians, they are so deeply networked in Silicon Valley that all kinds of people come to them,” said Venk Shukla, an engineer-turned-entrepreneur who heads TiE Angels was quoted in an interview. “Their networks are not confined to desis,” he said, meaning South Asians.

Members of TiE had been investing in one

another’s companies for many years but TiE Angels is more structured. Entrepreneurs are invited to pitch.

The audience are merciless in its interrogation. Who are your customers, one person wanted to know. How is it different from what company X does already?

Seasoned technologists size up the venture. TiE Angels discuss and decide whether and how much to invest. The checks are written by individual investors, as TiE itself is a nonprofit organization. It now has 57 chapters across the world, including in India. TiE Angels has pulled together about 100 investors in all. Most investments are well under $1 million, with a focus on enterprise solutions that leverage the technological expertise of TiE members. TiE Angel investors, in other words, bring their geek wisdom, in addition to their money.

India becomes third biggest US arms purchaser Washington, DC: Just years after US resumed weapons sales to New Delhi, India has jumped to become third biggest arms purchaser from America logging contracts worth over USD 4.5 billion last year alone.

Had the US firms bagged India's biggest ever deal for fighter jets, New Delhi would have been on the top spot of American arms sales worldwide, according to a Pentagon report.

Even though the US firms lost the bid for an estimated USD 10 billion contract for sale of 126 jets to Indian Air

Force (IAF), India was listed as the third largest purchaser of US arms through the government to government channel Foreign Military Sales (FMS) by the Defence Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA), the Pentagon agency that overlooks such sales. Topping the list for the fiscal year 2011 ending September 30, 2011 were Afghan Security Forces (USD 5.4 billion) followed by the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in the United States (USD 4.9 billion).

Australia with USD 3.9

billion occupies the fourth spot, followed by Saudi Arabia (USD 3.5 billion), Iraq (USD 2.0 billion), the UAE (USD 1.5 billion), Israel (USD 1.4 billion), Japan (USD 0.5 billion) and Sweden (USD 0.5 billion).

American arms sales to India include Naval Reconnaissance planes, giant transporters, sea-skimming missiles and other weapon systems.

US Foreign Military Sales passed the USD 30 billion mark for the fourth consecutive year, with the 2011 figure starting USD 34.8 billion.

Battle to profit from commercial yoga reaches courtroom Ashok Ojha/ SATimes Woodbridge, NJ: Not content with making millions out of the popularity of Yoga, two Yoga teaching groups ‘Bikram Yoga’ and ‘Yoga to the People’ are now engaged in a court battle over the ownership of certain yoga postures.

“It is a shame that people should go to court for something that belongs to everyone,” commented Dr. Uma Mysorekar, a leading expert on Hindu religion who has been associated with Yoga teaching institutions for many decades. An executive of Hindu Temple in Queens, Mysorekar said, “Yoga is a spiritual science whose roots can be traced in the Hindu epic Mahabharat in which Lord Krishna prescribed the four forms of Yoga to his disci-

Yoga enthusiasts at Times Square in NYC. It has been practiced for ages in India. ples.” lions around the world.

Many people including Dr. According to court papers pubMysorekar believe that postures of lished on the website Yoga existed for centuries and have NYTimes.com, Bikram Choudhary, been practiced unrestricted by mil- the millionaire founder of ‘Bikram

Xoom.com launches mobile site for desis on the go San Francisco, CA: Xoom.com, the fastest growing online money transfer company announced the launch of its fully optimized mobile site that enables users to send money worldwide, right from their mobile device.

“Our customers have always been able to send money at anytime, now they can send money from anywhere,” said John Kunze, Xoom’s President and CEO. “Any customer with an iPhone, Android or other mobile device can easily send money which can be deposited quickly to most bank accounts in India within 24 hours.”

The secure mobile site, which was developed in partnership with Usablenet, can be accessed at m.xoom.com from any web-enabled mobile device. It offers the same features of Xoom’s regular website, including the ability to send money, check the status of a transaction and see current exchange rates.

Yoga’ filed a law suit in a California court against ‘Yoga to the People’ for copyright infringement.

According to ‘Bikram Yoga’ website Bikram is the most respected living Yoga Guru in the world. He devised the 26 postures sequence, which work irrespective of age groups. These 26 postures series have a profound healing power on your body and mind. Bikram has shown the light of healthy life to millions of people around the world.

It is not the first time that Choudhary has taken his competitors to court. The New York Times reported that Choudhary is in legal battle against two other studios for copyright infringement and he reached a monetary settlement with a Los Angeles studio in 2003.

According to writer Suketu Mehta

the United States had issued 150 yoga-related copyrights. “In the United States alone, there have been more than 130 yoga-related patents, 150 copyrights and 2,300 trademarks,” Mehta wrote in a NYT article and called Choudhary’s legal actions “a gross violation of the tradition of yoga.”

Attempts of US teachers to patent traditional postures caused disbelief and anger in India, where it has been practiced for around 6,000 years. A few years ago huge outcry erupted in India against ‘stealing of India’s traditional knowledge.’ In an effort to stop the piracy of health and spiritual traditions, the Government of India set up a team of about 200 scientists to identify all ancient yoga positions or asanas and register each one to stop "patent piracy.”

Sikh group leads call for probing racial profiling Washington, DC: Amid charges of racial profiling by a group of 38 civil rights organizations led by the Sikh Coalition, the US Transportation Security Administration is investigating allegations that Mexican travelers were being targeted for extra screening.

The allegations of such targeting at Honolulu International Airport "resulted in launching an immediate and thorough investigation of the behavior detection program at HNL," the TSA stated Thursday.

"Pending the completion of the investigation, TSA also provided HNL Behavior Detection Officers refresher training to ensure the program is focused solely on identifying suspicious behaviors."

"TSA's behavior detection program in no way encourages or tolerates profiling," the agency said. "Profiling is not an effective form of security and our security officers are trained to treat every passenger with dignity and respect."

The statement came as 38 civil rights organizations led by Sikh Coalition called

for an independent audit of the TSA to determine whether the agency engages in racial profiling.

In a letter to Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano, the groups expressed concern about reports that TSA officers targeted Mexican and Dominican travelers for extra scrutiny at airports in Hawaii and New Jersey.

TSA officers at the Honolulu International Airport targeted Mexicans so often that their colleagues called them the "Mexicutioners," it said.

Sikh travelers are routinely selected for secondary screening at some American airports, even after clearing advanced imaging technology machines without incident, the letter said.

The Sikh Coalition said it believes that "these troubling reports are the tip of the iceberg" for TSA profiling. "Based on Sikh experience, we've long suspected that TSA officers are engaged in a pattern of profiling minorities instead of focusing on criminal behavior."

National Community TheSouthAsianTimes.info

December 10-16, 2011

Miller thanks community for supporting sister state pact with India Annapolis, MD: State Delegate Aruna Miller has returned from India after a successful trip which included agreements signed between Governor Martin O’Malley and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Kiran Kumar Reddy to work together towards a sister state agreement which will provide for cultural, educational and economic exchange.

Early into his second term Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley had hinted at making a trip to India. Delegate Miller, born in Andhra Pradesh, who is the first Indian-American woman legislator to serve in the Maryland General Assembly worked with Governor Martin O’Malley’s office to establish a sister state relationship with India. She also lobbied with the sister state committee to include Andhra Pradesh for serious consideration.

In response to the IndianAmerican community in Maryland, the Office of the Secretary of State began with a preliminary list of several Indian states under considera-

Delegate Miller presenting a shawl to Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Kiran Kumar Reddy tion. “I am grateful to beneficial for Maryland and Secretary McDonough for his Andhra Pradesh,” said Miller. leadership in undertaking this Miller credits the success of effort. He worked closely the Governor ’s visit to with the community leaders Andhra Pradesh to the particito ensure their voices and pation and commitment of concerns were heard. And community leaders Ram after careful consideration, Mohan Konda President of the states of Andhra Pradesh the Capital Area Telugu and Maharashtra were select- Society (CATS), Prasad ed.”

Thotakura President of the “Andhra Pradesh has a Telugu Association of North booming biotech and IT America (TANA) and Elisha industry which is very similar Pulivarti from the Maryland to my district in Montgomery Indian Business Roundtable County Maryland. During (MIBRT). “This trip could this historical trip, we not have been successful engaged with the Indian without them. It was my Government and business honor to work with such a leaders and forged relation- great team on this historic ships that will be mutually event,” Miller said.

Two Indian Americans held for fake perfume trafficking Washington, DC: Two Indian Americans from New Jersey have been indicted for their roles in a conspiracy to import and traffic in counterfeit perfume, according to the US justice department. While Sanjay Anandani, 34, of Clinton was arrested Dec 1 in Secaucus, New Jersey Rohit, 28, of Edgewater, surrendered to authorities a day later.

The indictment alleges that Anandani and Rohit imported three shipping containers with counterfeit perfume during 2009 and 2010, as

well as 4,600 fragrance boxes bearing counterfeit perfume trademarks.

The two-count indictment filed in the Eastern District of New York charges each defendant with conspiracy to traffic in counterfeit goods and trafficking in counterfeit goods. The conspiracy charge carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The trafficking charge carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $2,000,000 fine.

I'm ready to direct: Omi Vaidya of '3 Idiots' fame New Delhi: Indian American actor Omi Vaidya, who had the audiences in splits as funny man Chatur Ramalingam in "3 Idiots", is all set to wield the megaphone and says his directorial debut will be a "zara hatke" Hindi movie about supernatural powers.

"I went to New York film school and learned the nittygritty of filmmaking, editing and acting there. I learned the technical language that is used on the sets. You will soon see me using all my techniques in my directorial venture," says Omi. "I am busy working on a script, which is my first step towards direction. It is going to be a Hindi language film but not a typical Bollywood

9

Omi Vaidya masala film," added the 29year-old who was also seen in "Dil Toh Bachcha Hai Ji." Explaining his directorial venture, he said that his take on the film is a little different but it would be a commercial film for sure. "The film is based on supernatural powers.

As of now, it is too early to reveal any other detail but for

sure I am working on my debut project."

His Bollywood journey seems to be going in the right direction. He featured in the recently released "Desi Boyz" and will also be seen in the multistarrer "Players."

"People think it's been a cakewalk for me. No, after '3 Idiots', I had to wait for a long time. I was nearly sitting at home with no work for about eight months. 'Players' and 'Dil Toh Bachcha Hai Ji' came at the same time and I thought I should just grab both of them.

When I was offered the role, they were not so meaty, but later as the shooting started, they liked my work and extended my time slot in the film," he said.

Two India related galleries to open at Museum of Fine Arts Boston: Reflecting the increasing interest in the rich Indian arts and culture, the prestigious Museum of Fine Arts (MFA) in Boston will open two India related galleries later this month.

While one will celebrate rare sculptural works from India and neighboring countries (South Asia) and Southeast Asia, the other will showcase rotations of the rich painting traditions of India, Korea, the Himalayas, and Persia beginning with an important collection of Indian works in the exhibition Gems of Rajput Painting.

The two new galleries will reflect a broad range of cultures from Iran to the west and Indonesia to the east, and from the Himalayas to the north and Sri Lanka to the south reinforcing the global nature of the MFA’s encyclopaedic collection, said MFA Boston in a statement.

Highlights include important Buddhist, Hindu,

Museum of Fine Arts in Boston and Jain works, such as a rare 5th-century painted fragment featuring Buddha’s half-brother, Nanda, from the caves in Ajanta, a UNESCO World Heritage site in central India— the only known work to have left Ajanta— and an elaborately carved 11th-century sculpture of the elephant-headed Hindu god of good fortune, Ganesh.

Opening on December 15, some 120 works in the South Asian and Southeast

Asian Sculpture Gallery will highlight the artistic traditions of India and the surrounding South Asian countries of Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka, as well as Southeast Asia, which includes Indonesia, C a m b o d i a , Burma,Thailand, and Vietnam. In addition, the gallery will emphasize the important cultural exchange that took place between the two geographic regions during the course of two millennia.

10

US Affairs

December 10-16, 2011

TheSouthAsianTimes.info

Obama invokes India, China to launch populist agenda Washington: Portraying himself as a champion of the middle class, President Barack Obama invoked the threat of outsourcing to India and China to launch the populist themes of his 2012 re-election campaign.

"Today, even higher-skilled jobs, like accountants and middle management can be outsourced to countries like China or India," he said in Osawatomie, Kansas, Tuesday as he delivered a wide-ranging indictment of the growing economic disparity in America taking up some themes of the Occupy Wall Street movement."And if you're somebody whose job can be done cheaper by a computer or someone in another country, you don't have a lot of leverage with your employer when it comes to asking for better wages or better benefits, especially since fewer Americans today are part of a union," Obama said.

Invoking Theodore Roosevelt's progressive agenda, he said: "This

President Barack Obama isn't just another political debate.

This is the defining issue of our time. This is a make or break moment for the middle class, and all those who are fighting to get into the middle class."

At stake, Obama said, is the fundamental American principle "that this is the place where you can make it if you try."

Obama spoke in the same small

Ex-Illinois governor gets 14 years jail

Charges against Rod Blagojevich included peddling the vacated seat of Barack Obama Chicago: A federal judge Wednesday have nobody to blame but myself for sentenced impeached Illinois Gov. my stupidity and actions and the Rod Blagojevich to 14 years in things I did and I thought I could do. prison, giving little weight to his first- I'm not blaming anybody," ever apology since his arrest three Blagojevich said.Prosecutors argued years ago. that he has failed the people of "The jury didn't believe you and Illinois and instead "further eroded neither did I," U.S. District Court the public's confidence in government Judge James Zagel said. and government officials."

Blagojevich was convicted on 18 "He knew from a very early date corruption charges, including the exactly what he could do to help the scheme to peddle the vacated Senate people of Illinois and he didn't do it," seat of Barack Obama. federal prosecutor Reid Schar said.

Blagojevich started the day telling "Instead, what he did was first to seek the court that he was "unbelievably personal benefits, jobs, millions of sorry" for his "terrible mistakes," his dollars, and things for him in relation last chance to convince the federal to the Senate seat. judge that he deserved some mercy "He lied repeatedly, concretely, and when he was sentenced on corruption on issues that went to the heart of the charges. "I'm here convicted of case and he lied on every episode that crimes. The jury decided I was guilty. he was questioned," Schar said. "He I am accepting of it. I acknowledge is incredibly manipulative, and he it…" Blagojevich told Zagel. "I want knows how to be." Since the 1970s, to apologize to the people of Illinois, three former Illinois governors have to the court, for the mistakes I have been sent to prison, not to mention made. … I never set out to break the several others who have gotten in law. "I never set out to cross lines. I trouble with the law.

town where Roosevelt, the 26th President of the United States and a leader of the Progressive movement, outlined his vision for a "New Nationalism" over a century ago.

Although "Roosevelt was called a radical, a socialist, even a communist," Obama said we are a "richer nation and a stronger democracy" because of his vision of economic fairness and equal opportunity.

Obama also accused Republicans of suffering from "collective amnesia" about the financial crisis. "Their philosophy is simple: we are better off when everyone is left to fend for themselves and play by their own rules," he said. "Well, I'm here to say they are wrong."

"This country succeeds when everyone gets a fair shot, when everyone does their fair share and when everyone plays by the same rules," Obama said appealing for a strong governmental role through tax and regulation to level the economic playing field.

Health Secretary blocks easier access to morning-after pill Washington: The health secretary overruled government scientists and refused to bring the controversial morning-after pill from behind the pharmacy counter and onto drugstore shelves.

Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius on Wednesday used her power to trump the Food and Drug Administration's plan to do away with the age limit on who can buy Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd' s Plan B One-Step pill without a prescription.

The pill, which has to be taken within 72 hours of unprotected sexual intercourse, has been available without a prescription to women over 17, but they have to still ask a pharmacist for help and show identification for an age check. Girls under 17 need a prescription to buy the drug.

Sebelius's move drew shocks and

puzzlement from women's health advocates who say it goes against President Barack Obama's pledge to reassert the power of science in his administration's decisions. An FDA spokeswoman said no health secretary has ever overruled the agency. The FDA itself has drawn fire in the past for being slow to expand access to the morning-after pill.

FDA approval would have likely put the morning-after contraceptive on drugstore shelves next to condoms and other family-planning products -- a politically sensitive issue leading up to the 2012 elections.

"The whole thing is extraordinary and does not make any sense," said Susan Wood, former head of the FDA's Office of Women's Health who resigned in protest over the agency's handling of the drug in 2005.

Gingrich surge unnerves some Republican lawmakers Washington: Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich's stunning surge toward the top of the Republican presidential field has unnerved some Republicans in Congress who remember too well the tumult of nearly two decades ago.

"I'd rather have steady," said Rep. Steve LaTourette of Ohio, who this week made it known that he was backing former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney instead of the resurgent Gingrich, the man who led the 1994 "revolution" in which LaTourette was first elected.

Personally, LaTourette said, he has a "hangover" from the days of Gingrich's speakership, when "everything always seemed to be on fire."

In interviews this week, more than a dozen Republican members of the House and Senate wouldn't say — when given repeated chances — that they are confident that Gingrich has the discipline and stamina to outlast Romney and, down the road, face President Obama in a grueling general election. Gingrich has had trouble marshaling support from Congress' mass of political insiders. The 1994

Newt Gingrich: after Herman Cain withdrew, GOP presidential nominee has become a two-horse race with Romney the other top contender "revolutionaries" who turned Democrats out of power for the first time in 40 years as well as more senior lawmakers waver on the question of whether Gingrich would be good for the GOP and the country given his rocky past.

Sen. Pat Roberts of Kansas, who credited Gingrich with helping push through a transformative farm bill, is among those unsure whether Gingrich-as-nominee would be helpful.

"It depends on what he does," said Roberts, who has not committed to a candidate for the party's nomination.

For his part, Gingrich told CNN

late Wednesday: "I wish everybody had loved me. But I'd rather be effective representing the American people than be popular inside Washington."

Gingrich's Capitol Hill days were volatile to say the least.

He was at the helm during two government shutdowns. He had a snit over a back-seat assignment on Air Force One and displayed a management style that his allies said shifted wildly and eroded morale among his backers.

There also was the book deal that led to a $300,000 fine from the House ethics committee and enough chaos to inspire his own lieutenants to plot Gingrich's overthrow. And who could forget Gingrich's illicit affair with a House aide — now his wife, Callista — while advocating for President Bill Clinton's impeachment after a sexual impropriety of his own?

Now a presidential candidate, Gingrich, at 68, claims he's matured.

But his unpredictability remains a concern to some, and he's clearly aware of the political jitters his campaign's newfound viability gives to those who know him best.

Jobs’ biography Amazon's best-selling book of 2011 Washington: "Steve Jobs", the only authorized biography of the late Apple co-founder, has climbed to the top of Amazon.com's best-selling books for 2011.

The book was released in October, Xinhua reported.

The 56-year-old Jobs died Oct 5 after a long battle with cancer. Amazon.com, however, did not give the exact sales numbers. According to earlier data from Nielsen BookScan, the book sold around 383,000 copies in its first week of release in the US.

The biography has become the bestselling electronic title in Brazil. In Taiwan, orders for the book reportedly surpassed previous bestsellers.Sony Pictures has reportedly acquired the rights for a film based on the book.

The biography, based on interviews with Jobs, his family members, friends, colleagues and business rivals, is written by former managing editor of Time magazine Walter Isaacson, who has also written biographies of Albert Einstein and Benjamin Franklin.

India Newswire TheSouthAsianTimes.info

11

December 10-16, 2011

Lokpal panel finalizes report, Team Anna rejects it New Delhi: The Parliamentary Standing Committee examining the Lokpal bill finalized its draft report amidst increased dissent from members, including those of the Congress, over various provisions but Anna Hazare rejected the proposed legislation as unlikely to check corruption.

Panel chairman Abhishek Manu Singhvi said the report, carrying dissent notes, is likely to be presented in parliament on December 9.

"We have adopted the draft report. It is likely to be presented to parliament Friday," Singhvi said, adding that the final report will comprise the points of dissent.

Singhvi said the panel examined around 25 issues and agreed on most of them. "But there are differences on some issues," he said.

Sources said of around 15 dissent notes on various issues, most relate to exclusion of around 5.7 million Group C staff, the largest chunk of government employees, from the Lokpal's ambit.

While members from the Bharatiya Janata Party, Left parties and the Samajwadi Party have already submitted their dissent notes over the point, three Congress members -Deepa Dasmunsi, P.T. Thomas and Meenakshi Natrajan -- joined them. The three Congress members also want the Chief Vigilance Commissioner under the

Anna Hazare has threatened to go on an indefinite fast from Dec 27 if a strong bill was not passed in parliament during the winter session, which ends Dec 22.

Lokpal.

Another contentious issue was whether the prime minister should come under the purview of the ombudsman. Singhvi said the controversial issues have been left for parliament to debate and resolve.

Opposing constitutional status for the Lokpal, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Lalu Prasad Yadav demanded reservation for Dalits, backward castes and the minorities in all the panels under the Lokpal.

Lok Janshakti Party chief Ram Vilas Paswan has made a similar demand. But sources said there is general agreement in the panel that the Lokpal should have a constitutional status.

The BJP and the Left parties have also given dissent notes on this issue as well as on the absence of a citizen's charter and the manner of appointing the Central Bureau of Investigation chief.

Sources said the draft has also recom-

Uddhav spars with cousin Raj over flyover issue Mumbai: In an indirect attack at Raj Thackeray, Shiv Sena executive president Uddhav Thackeray questioned how people who had demanded relaxation of norms for cricket maestro Sachin Tendulkar's dream bungalow were now criticizing singers Lata Mangeshkar and Asha Bhosle over the Peddar Road flyover issue.

"All citizens are equal before the law. But some people demanded extra FSI (floor space index) for Sachin Tendulkar's bungalow even though it did not fit into the government's rules," Uddhav said in a statement here, without naming his estranged cousin and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief, who had made such a demand.

Uddhav also took umbrage at "these people" for criticizing national icons from the state like Lata, Asha and Sachin and tarnishing their image before the world.

"These icons have brought name, fame and honor to the country's sports and culture arena on the world stage and at least politicians from Maharashtra should refrain from spoiling their name," he said, urging an end to this muck-raking against these icons.

Uddhav's statement came in response to Raj Thackeray's criticism of Lata and Asha whose opposition has delayed the much-awaited Peddar Road flyover in south Mumbai to end traffic snarls.

The MNS chief had warned that unless the govern-

Uddav Tahckeray. ment constructs a flyover on Peddar Road, his party would not permit the construct work of any other flyover in the city or the state.

His stance came following the state government's plans to drop the flyover at Peddar Road and instead compensate by constructing two flyovers nearby one at Haji Ali junction and another at Cadbury Company junction, both in the vicinity.

A high-level delegation including top office-bearers of the party, its women's wing, legislators and others met Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan Tuesday and urged him to initiate steps to construct the longpending Peddar Road flyover. Playing safe, Chavan said that "no final decision" has been taken on the issue so far.

mended bringing corporates, media and NGOs within the Lokpal's ambit. However, the response from the Anna hazare camp was not favorable.

Hazare said it seemed that the government is not committed to a strong Lokpal bill.

"The government is not serious about fighting corruption," he told reporters at his village, Ralegan Siddhi in Maharashtra.

"There is rampant corruption in lower bureaucracy. To check the corruption, there is a pressing need to bring the Group C and D employees under Lokpal," he said.

He threatened to go on an indefinite fast from Dec 27 if a strong bill was not passed in parliament during the winter session, which ends Dec 22.

Hazare said that during the fast, he would request voters in seven states going to polls next year not to support the Congress.

Key Hazare aide, Arvind Kejriwal also rejected the recommendations made by the parliamentary panel and said these will not have "any impact on corruption".

"I think the recommendations of the standing committee, whatever they are, on the Lokpal which is coming, I don't think this will have any impact on corruption," he told reporters here.

"On the contrary, it is likely to dismantle whatever exists in the name of anti-corruption in this country," said Kejriwal.

After FDI, Chidambaram row stalls Parliament New Delhi: After only a day of peace and normal business in parliament, the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha were back to no work amid repeated disruptions by opposition parties demanding the resignation of Home Minister P. Chidambaram for his alleged involvement in the 2G spectrum scam.

As soon as the house opened in the morning a day after almost peaceful proceedings, members from opposition parties rose to protest demanding the home minister's ouster for his alleged involvement in the 2G scam during his tenure as finance minister.

Chidambaram should go, shouted the protesting MPs from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) creating a din the house. Their ally

Janata Dal-United (JD-U) walked into the speaker's podium to shout slogans.

Speaker Meira Kumar suspended the crucial Question Hour. When members reassembled again at noon, the din continued.

The Rajya Sabha also witnessed repeated disruptions, with opposition MPs demanding Chidambaram's ouster. Thursday was the 11th day of the 21-day long winter session. Parliament has already lost the first nine days of the session to opposition protests over various issues, including the government's controversial decision of allowing foreign equity in Indian retail trade.

The decision was suspended that paved the way for parliament to resume.

Congress backs Pawar, questions Hazare's Gandhism New Delhi: The Congress questioned Gandhian credentials of Anna Hazare for justifying the recent assault on Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar and said any remark which incites people was condemnable.

Party spokesman Manish Tewari said the basic principle of the Gandhian thought was non-violence and wondered how anyone justifying violence can be a Gandhian.

On Pawar's statement that Justice

P.B. Sawant Commission had spoken about the maladministration and corruption by Hazare, Tewari said that the report of the commission was self-speaking.

"The report is in the public domain and for everyone to read and come to a conclusion," he said.

Pawar had hit back at Hazare for justifying the recent physical attacks on politicians but appealed to his partymen to refrain from any violence.

12

India Newswire

December 10-16, 2011

TheSouthAsianTimes.info

Social media code: BJP opposes Sibal's way New Delhi: The Congress reacted cautiously to government moves for a code of conduct for social media, calling for larger debate, while the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was supportive but said Communications Minister Kapil Sibal's way of approaching the issue is not right.

Congress spokesman Manish Tewari hoped the government would hold threadbare consultations with all stakeholders before taking a decision.

"The issue is very sensitive and it needs larger debate. We hope that the government will take any step after this issue is discussed threadbare with all stakeholders," Tewari said answering a query over the controversy involving

Kapil Sibal had said that global Internet companies should block some content from their sites in view of sensitivities and cultural ethos of people of the country

China to deport 13 Indian diamond traders New Delhi: A Chinese court freed 13 of 22 Indian nationals held on charges of diamond smuggling and money laundering. India took note of the judgment, saying it will seek more information regarding these Indians who will be sent back in 15 days.

Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi was quick to claim credit and thanked China for acting on his request, made during his visit to China last month, to speed up the judicial process for 22 Indian diamond traders.

The remaining traders, mostly Gujaratis, charged with smuggling diamonds worth $7.3 million into China, were sentenced to prison terms ranging from 23 months to six years by a Shenzhen court.

The 22 diamond traders

content on social media such as Facebook and Google.

BJP leader S.S. Ahluwalia supported the government's view on objectionable content on the social networking sites but said Sibal's way of approaching the issue is not right.

"We condemn if some distortion has taken place on such sites. No political party would approve distortion of images of public figures on the social network sites," Ahluwalia said.

But he said that "Sibal's way of regulating them is not okay".

Ahluwalia compared the government's move to ask the social networking sites to block objectionable content with the way it treated yoga guru Baba Ramdev

were arrested by Shenzhen customs officials for allegedly smuggling diamonds from Hong Kong to China on Jan 8, 2010.

"We have noted the judgment by a court in Shenzhen, China, on 22 Indian nationals on charges of diamond smuggling and money laundering.

Thirteen of them will be deported from China in 15 days and will return to India," external affairs ministry spokesperson Vishnu Prakash said.

Prakash said the Consul General of India, Guangzhou, will meet the court authorities Thursday to obtain more information regarding the deportation of the Indian citizens. "All necessary assistance will continue to be rendered to the Indian detainee," he

said.

Earlier, Indian consular officials had visited the arrested traders on more than 10 occasions and had facilitated family visits more than five times. "All assistance has been rendered to ensure their welfare," the spokesperson said. Modi welcomed the development.

"Thankful to China for acting on my request of speeding judicial process for 22 Indians imprisoned there for 2 years," tweeted Modi.

Modi had taken up the issue of diamond traders languishing in China's jail with ruling Communist Party of China during his five-day visit to that country last month. The visit was aimed at attracting Chinese investment to his state.

when he protested the black money issue in Delhi earlier in the year and was asked to give a declaration on ending the agitation.

The BJP leader said the government should instead bring the regulation that it planned for these social network sites to parliament for discussion. "We will give our views then," he said.

Stating that the constitution granted complete freedom of speech, Ahluwalia said the social networking sites should not promote pervert pictures or hurt religious sentiments of people.

Sibal had said that global internet companies should block some content from their sites in view of sensitivities and cultural ethos of people of the country.

Book Vidya Balan for obscenity: court Hyderabad: Controversies continue to dog "The Dirty Picture" with a city court directing police to book actress Vidya Balan for posing for indecent photographs on the film posters and promos.

Nampally criminal courts ordered the Nallakunta police station in the city to book a criminal case against the Bollywood star.

The court passed the orders on a petition filed by an advocate S. K. Azad. The judge asked police to book the actress under relevant sections of Indian Penal Code and also under Indecent Representation of Women (Prohibition) Act, 1986.

Police was also asked to take action against public display of posters and promotional advertisements of the controversial movie.

The petitioner said the posters and hoardings of the film were spoiling the minds of the people and causing harm to the society.

There have been protests by anti-obscenity activists in parts of Hyderabad and other towns in the state during last two days.

The film before its release had landed into trouble when former south Indian actress Silk Smitha's brother V. Naga Varaprasad Rao moved the Andhra Pradesh

Vidya Balan in ‘The Dirty Picture.’ High Court, objecting to the way her late sister was portrayed in the film.

The court had refused to stop the film's release after the filmmaker denied that it is based on Silk Smitha's life.

Keralites’ shops attacked in Tamil Nadu Chennai: The political tussle between Tamil Nadu and Kerala over the Mullaperiyar Dam has shifted to the streets of Chennai, Coimbatore and Thanjavur with fringe Tamil groups attacking shops owned by Keralites and forcing them to down shutters.

Retaliating to the attacks on Tamils in Kerala, a Tamil fringe group attacked a sweets shop owned by a Keralite in Chennai's Saidapet area, while a jewelry shop in T.Nagar area was forced to down its shutters as a group of protestors staged demonstration outside it.

Similarly, shops owned by Keralites in Coimbatore and Thanjavur were forced to close down by protestors. Demonstrations

The political tussle between Tamil Nadu and Kerala over the Mullaperiyar Dam has shifted to the streets of Chennai, Coimbatore and Thanjavur.

were also held outside the jewelry shops owned by Keralites in the state.

A large police force has been deployed for security outside big shops owned by Keralites here.

Meanwhile, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J.Jayalalithaa held a meeting with her cabinet colleagues and officials to discuss the tense situation in the Kerala-Tamil Nadu border areas.

Leader of Opposition in the assembly A.Vijayakant condemned the attack on Ayyappa devotees and bus passengers from Tamil Nadu by anti-social elements in Kerala.

In a statement issued here Wednesday, he said: "The central and the Kerala governments are

watching the attacks on innocent Tamils in Kerala. Both the governments have to take strong action against the anti-social elements." ".... the weakness is in the Kerala politicians and not in the Mullaperiyar Dam," he said.

On the other hand, PMK founderleader S.Ramadoss in a statement here demanded economic blockade of Kerala by closing the routes to that state for a week and imposing a ban on Keralites buying properties in Tamil Nadu.

On its part, the DMK has called a meeting of its executive committee Dec 9 to discuss the party's stand on Mullaperiyar Dam issue. The meeting will be chaired by DMK president M. Karunanidhi.

India TheSouthAsianTimes.info

13

December 10-16, 2011

Jaipur getting a makeover for PBD The Rajasthan government under Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot is doing its utmost to transform Pink City from being a mere heritage city to a vibrant modern one.

By Prakash Bhandari/SATimes Jaipur: The Ashok Gehlot government in Rajasthan is leaving no stone unturned to reshape the Pink City as a world class city. It’s the dream of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi to see Jaipur emerge as not only a tourist destination, but also as a world class city. The Rajasthan government would try to highlight its efforts in this direction during the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD) conclave slated for January 7-9, 2012r.

At a meeting of the PBD organizing panel, CM Gehlot said, “Let’s make all the efforts to show what is being done on the development front to improve the city from being a mere heritage city to a vibrant modern one. All the departments should work in close cohesion to improve the basic facilities and clean the city so that it could be showcased as a world class city in the making. This is an enormous

Jaipur landmark Hawa Mahal opportunity when 2,000 participants, a large number of them being non-resident Rajasthanis, would rediscover not only Jaipur, but also the whole of Rajasthan.” The highpowered PBD panel, headed by Chief Secretary Salahuddin Ahmed, is holding regular meetings with different departments, assigning them various tasks related to the holding of PBD 2012. Urban development minister Shanti Kumar Dhariwal alongwith Ahmed and other officials

went round the city to see the conditions of roads and other amenities.

Finding a lot of work still in progress, efforts have been made to quickly complete all works a week before the convention.

Some have suggested to use the large voluntary force of the Haryana based Dera Saccha Sauda to clean up the city. Recently their 24,000 volunteers, headed by Sant Ram Rahim, undertook cleaning operations of the Pink City.

As a large number of participants would be traveling to Jaipur after landing in Delhi, efforts are being made to improve the condition of NH8 that connects the two cities.

To provide a smooth ride to guests visiting Pink City during the threeday mega event, CP Joshi, India’s minister for road transport and highways who hails from Rajasthan, had instructed officials of National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) to refurbish the stretch and accelerate the expansion work.

Delhi to Jaipur is 260 km and it usually takes five hours to travel the distance. The ongoing expansion work to make it a six-lane road now has, however, made it a 7-8 hours journey.

The government is likely to increase the number of flights to Jaipur from Delhi and Mumbai for the 1,500 delegates who would be arriving in Pink City for PBD 2012.

The Rajasthan government is also trying to showcase the state as a potential investment destination particularly in the area of solar power.

Because of its geographical location, the state is likely to emerge as

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one of world’s biggest hubs. During PBD, special seminars will be held on solar energy with a focus on investment in solar energy sector and R&D and manufacturing.

GOPIO-Jaipur to launch on December 23 OPIO plans to launch GOPIO-Jaipur on Dec 23 at a Conference in Malaviya Industrial Area in Jaipur. GOPIO Founder President and Chairman Emeritus Dr. Thomas Abraham will be the guest speaker.

Former NRIs settled in the Jaipur area and those interested in networking with NRIs/PIOs (i.e. parents of NRI children and those with business interest) are requested to contact the GOPIOJaipur Coordinators Gopal Mehta at 09928852100 (e-mail: mehtagopal@yahoo.com) or Viswas Jain at 09929094199 (email: vishwas@cegindia.com).

G

14

Diaspora

December 10-16, 2011

TheSouthAsianTimes.info

Global Sindhis to unite for 18th International Sindhi Sammelan in Ahmedabad Ahmedabad: Sindhis from all over the world will gather here to collectively work towards preserving their heritage, traditions, culture, language and literature. The convention will be held at Golden Glory Hall, Karnavati Club on the 16th and 17th Dec 2011, and at Sindhu Bhavan on the 18th Dec 2011. The event will bring Sindhis from the Americas, Europe, Africa, the Middle-East, pan-Asia and most states of India to Ahmedabad. In the past, International Sindhi Sammelans have been organized in the USA, UK, Indonesia and India (Mumbai).

The Sindhi Council of India has also successfully organized 10 conventions in India and three overseas, at Dubai, Hong Kong and Los Angeles respectively.

Organizing committee members at preevent press conference: (L to R)Prakash Doulatani,Manohar Keswani,Nand Khanchandani,Narendra Somani, Amar Doulatani, Maya Kodnani, Parmanand Khattar, Anil Mulchandani, Harish Kakwani The issue of Thalassaemia shall be discussed in length and the importance of organ donation will

also be highlighted during the Sammelan.

Several reputed Sindhis from fields like politics,

Greenpeace chief straddles roles of boardroom advocate, radical activist Durban: Since he was named the head of country’s liberation struggle at the age of Greenpeace International two years ago, Kumi 15. As a result of his anti-apartheid activiNaidoo, 46, who cut his teeth as a teenager in ties, he was expelled from high school. He was very involved in neighborhood organithe antiapartheid movement in his native zation, youth work in his community, and Durban, has sought to charm his way into cormass mobilizations against the apartheid porate boardrooms to win companies’ support regime. In 1986, Kumi was arrested and for his broad climate change and social justice agenda — even as his group tries to guard its charged for violating the state of emergency regulations. outside-the-lines radical status. It is a sophisticated game of insider-outsider that sometimes He went underground for one year before finally deciding to live in exile in England. raises eyebrows. Naidoo has worked closely During this time he was a Rhodes scholar at with Greenpeace for a number of years. He was involved in the development of Oxford and earned a doctorate in political sociology.

After Nelson Mandela’s release Greenpeace’s work in Africa and became a Kumi Naidoo board member of Greenpeace Africa when it in 1990, Kumi returned to South Africa to opened offices in Johannesburg and Kinshasa in 2008. work on the legalization of the African National Congress.

More recently, he served as Chair of the civil society During the democratic elections in 1994 he was the offialliance ‘Global Campaign for Climate Action’ (GCCA), cial spokesperson of the Independent Electoral Commission and directed the training of all electoral staff of which Greenpeace was a founding member.

Born in South Africa, Naidoo became involved in the in the country.

Donald Ramotar wins presidency in Guyana Georgetown: Donald Ramotar, the candidate from Guyana's longtime ruling People's Progressive Party/Civic, has won the presidency, electoral authorities said on Thursday.

Ramotar, 61, had been expected to succeed outgoing President Bharrat Jagdeo, who is limited to two terms.

He becomes the sixth head of state and government.

But the PPP/C, which has led the

former British colony since 1992 and enjoys backing from the ethnic Indian majority, failed to win a majority in the 65-seat national assembly.

It obtained 32 seats with 48.6 per cent of the popular vote in Monday's election, Guyana's chief elections officer Gocool Boodhoo announced.

The main opposition party, A Partnership for National Unity (APNU), which largely receives

Afro-Guyanese support, won 26 seats with 40.8 per cent of the vote under the proportional representation system. The smaller Alliance For Change ( AFC) got seven seats, and the tiny United Force was shut out. "I would have liked to have a majority in the parliament but the electorate has spoken and we have to work with what we have," Ramotar said, adding that he would soon appoint his cabinet.

industry, banking, commerce, entertainment, the sciences, the arts, social development, education, etc have confirmed their participation. Among the Sindhis from Gujarat, Maya Kodnani (MLA), Narendra Somani (Hotelier), Manohar Keswani (General Secretary, Sindhu Sewa Samaj, Parmanand Khattar (ExMinister- Urban Affairs), Nandlal Khanchandani (Real Estate Developer), and Harish Kakwani (Media Consultant- Ambedkar University) will be present, besides many Sindhi entrepreneurs from the city.

These are also into the organization committee of the Sammelan.

Amar Doulatani, National President, Sindhi Council of India and Chairman of 18th International Sindhi Sammelan

says, “The Sindhi Sammelan seeks to rekindle the spirit of Sindhayat, the linguistic and cultural bond between Sindhis that transcends into geographical distances. After the success of the first Sindhi Sammelan in 1992, a group of entrepreneurs under the banner of the Alliance of Sindhi Associations of Americas Inc. organized 17 Sammelans in USA, UK, Mumbai, Mumbai, Singapore, Jakarta, and Barbados.”

The three day convention will cover a variety of subjects like health and healthcare issues, business, investment, culture, literature, language, and the entertainment industry including the presence of Sindhis in Bollywood, Telewood, etc. Traditional Sindhi dances like Chhej, Jhumir etc shall also be performed.

Malaysia grants $16,000 for renovation of Sikh Gurudwara

Gurdwara Sahib Sikh in Kota Kinabalu. Built in 1924, it is the oldest Gurdwara in the country.

Kuala Lumpur: Malaysia has given a grant of about $16,000 for renovations of the country’s oldest Sikh Gurdwara in Sabah state.

Muslim majority Malaysia has eight per cent ethnic Indian population of which a small percentage are Sikhs who have been in this Southeast Asian country for more than 200 years.The earliest Sikhs, known to be fearless, were brought in by the British to help maintain security.

The Gurdwara Sahib Sikh in Kota Kinabalu in Sabah can now carry out renovations with the 50,000 ringgit ($15,633) grant from Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin.

“The allocation is proof of the gov-

ernment’s commitment to help the people, regardless of their religious beliefs,” a Malaysian Indian Congress (MIC) leader of the Sabah state said while handing out the donation to Gurdwara member Anup Singh. He said similar allocations would be distributed to temples in other areas.

Early this month, Muhyiddin announced the 400,000 ringgit grant, following a request from Sabah MIC, at the Deepavali function. Singh said the Gurdwara had also received RM 40,000 from the state government to carry out renovation work. Built in 1924, it is the oldest Gurdwara in the country.

16

Rotary Event

December 10-16, 2011

Thesouthasiantimes.info

Nassau County Executive Ed Mangano addressing the gathering, mainly Rotarians Left : The cake cutting as the two clubs celebrated their second anniversary.

Two LI Rotary Clubs hold Charter Night Celebration Chartered in Dec 2009, South Asian dominated Hicksville South and Jericho Sunrise Clubs presented their achievements and rededicated themselves to serving the community in the Rotary spirit.

Garden City, NY: Rotary Club of Hicksville South and Rotary Club of Jericho Sunrise celebrated their Charter Night on December 4 at the Garden City Hotel on Long Island. Besides

Past District Governor Ravi Bhooplapur addressing the audience.

giving presentations on their achievements and projects taken up by the two clubs, the event also witnessed conferring of Rotary International honors on three.

A highlight of the fundraising at the event was $15,000 collected in one fell swoop when three attendees grabbed the offer in auction for $5,000 each to have breakfast with Nassau County

New members of Hicksville South taking the oath.

New members of Jericho Sunrise taking the oath.

Executive Ed Mangano. They were Vikas Dhall , Raja Amar and Saleem Iqbal. Honoring the suggestion of Ed Mangano, Kamlesh Mehta announced $5000 out of proceedings to go

towards US Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots Program, which was represented at the event by Major (Retd) Chuck Kilbride.

Continued on page 17

Vimi Sikka, Kamlesh Mehta and Dev Ratnam received the Paul Harris Fellowship award for philanthropy

Linda Mangano after being given Honorary membership of Jericho Sunrise.

Rotary Event Thesouthasiantimes.info

17

December 10-16, 2011

Photos: Xitij Joshi/ XitijPhoto.com Continued from page 16 Ravi Bhooplapur, who was instrumental during his tenure as District 7250 Governor in chartering the two clubs in December 2009 with almost a record 100 members in one day, lauded the service rendered by the two South Asian dominated clubs and announced Paul Harris Fellowship awards of philanthropy for three.

The awards were presented by Past District Governor Sammy Hsiao to Kamlesh Mehta, Charter President of Hicksville South, Dev Ratnam, President Elect of the same club, and Vimi Sikka, Charter President of Jericho Sunrise.

Past District 7250 Governor Dr Eileen Gentilcore inducted 11 new members for both clubs. Jaya Bhooplapur, current president of Jericho Sunrise club, was instrumental along with Rtn Dan Flynn in inducting many new members on the day.

Linda Mangano, was inducted as an Honorary membership of the Jericho Sunrise club.

Many dignitaries of Rotary Club, Herb Flores, of Nassau County’s Office of Minority Affairs, Eldia Gonzales, Director of CASA, Attorney Ravi Batra, Gov. Elect Mr. Mario, prominent businessmen and professionals were among the eminent guests present at the event which also saw a scintillating flamingo dance performance by Bollywood Performing Arts.

Auction items were donated among others by Sushil Goyal of Liberty Gems, Arun & Ruby Dewan of Diamonds ‘R Must, Ashok Varshney, Indigo Hotel and Garden City Hotel.

Rotary Club of Hicksville South and Jericho Sunrise were instrumental in raising over $200,000 in charity grants in last two years.

One of their recent projects undertaken is to raise a grant for over $240,000 for Cancer Treatment Facility in Ambala.

The glittering event was held at the Garden City Hotel.

Major (Retd) Chuck Kilbride of Toys for Tots speaking at the event flanked by County Executive Mangano and two marines.

Herb Flores, Director, Office of Minority Affairs - Nassau County, with his wife and guest.

Flamingo dance performance by Bollywood Performing Arts was scintillating.

Kamlesh Mehta introduced some of the jewelry during the auction.

County Executive Mangano presented citations of appreciation to Jericho Sunrise President Jaya Bhooplapur and Hicksville South President Dan Flynn. Current Rotary Dist. President Gabor Karsai is second from left.

Kamlesh Mehta and the Manganos with Vikas Dhall, Andy Singh , Saleem Iqbal, Raja Amar and Ravi Batra.s

18

A Tribute to King of Romance

December 10-16, 2011

TheSouthAsianTimes.info

From ‘Baazi’ in 1951 to ‘Chargesheet’ in 2011, it was an untrammeled joyride through six decades of Bollywood. It's curtains for the ageless Dev Anand, who oversaw the growth of the Hindi film industry from the black and white era to Technicolor, and leaves behind a unique legacy of a star who had moved way beyond his cinematic works.

Bollywood's very own Peter Pan says adieu Mumbai: He acted, he directed and produced... almost till the end with his last film "Chargesheet" being released this year when he was all of 88 and still raring to go, as ebullient and ageless as ever. Reviewing "Chargesheet", a well known critic put against the rating "irrelevant". It truly didn't matter by then whether the film was good or bad. The much loved legend had given so much through the years that he was forgiven almost everything.

Dev Anand epitomized the suave, urban gentleman who romanced his way through generations of heroines -- from Nalini Jaywant to Zeenat Aman.

And of course, his charming persona is incomplete without a mention of his hairstyle, the puff a la Hollywood legend Gregory Peck.

He ruled the black and white era with movies like "Munimji", "CID" and "Hum Dono" and then moved into the colored age with classics like "Jewel Thief" and "Johny Mera Naam". He provided the launch pad for some of tinsell town's most remembered head-turners like Zeenat Aman and Tina Munim.

Active till his last breath with his

film projects, Dev Anand was Bollywood's true evergreen living legend. He truly epitomized the philosophy of his song "Main zindagi ka saath nibhata chala gaya".

He acted as the lead in more than 110 movies. His 2011 release "Chargesheet", in which he acted and directed as well, became his swan song. The prolific star also released an autobiography "Romancing with Life" in September 2007.

Born on Sep 26, 1923 as Dharam Dev Pishorimal Anand in Gurdaspur district of then undivided Punjab to an advocate father, he graduated in English literature from the Government College, Lahore (now in Pakistan) before moving to the city of dreams Mumbai, where his elder brother, late filmmaker Chetan Anand, was already finding foothold, to fulfill his acting dreams.

Like others, Dev Anand too had his share of struggle before embarking on his celluloid journey. He worked as a military censor office at Churchgate at a salary of Rs.160 and even joined his brother, Chetan Anand, as a member of the Indian People's Theatre Association

(IPTA).

Destiny, however, had something else in store for him and soon he was offered a break as an actor by Prabhat Talkies to star in "Hum Ek Hain" (1946). It was while shooting for the film in Pune that Dev Anand met Guru Dutt - and was born a friendship destined for greatness.

Two years later, the turning point in his career came when he was offered his first big break by Ashok Kumar in Bombay Talkies' hit 1948 movie "Ziddi".

As it happened, Ashok Kumar spotted Dev Anand hanging around in the studios and picked him as the hero for the film.

A genius in his own right, Dev Anand turned producer and launched his production house Navketan in 1949. As a prior commitment, he asked Guru Dutt to direct the banner's first outing crime thriller, "Baazi" (1951), which made Dev Anand an overnight star and he remained a star till his last breath even six decades later.

His good looks turned him into every girl's dream man, but he himself fell for his co- star and the superstar of the era, Suraiya. Their

He was stylish and well-read: Vyjayanthimala M u m b a i : Ye s t e r y e a r s ' a c t r e s s Vy j a y a n t h i m a l a remembers Dev Anand as a stylish and cultured costar with whom she did hit movie "Jewel Thief". She also reveals that in those days she used to crave to work with a tall actor and that Dev Anand "came along at the right time".

Vyjayanthimala with Dev Anand.

"He was a bundle of energy always. It's hard to matched with me.

Dev came along at the right time. imagine he is no more. I first met And he was well-read, educated, culhim on the sets of 'Amar Deep'. erudite," she A really handsome man with tured and impeccable manners. And yes, tall, said.Vyjayanthimala and Dev Anand became a hit pair after the sucess of ha ha.

I needed a tall hero. During my "Jewel Thief" and the actress says time I was supposed to be a tall that she had a gala time while workheroine and I really craved to work ing in the film, which was directed with a hero who could be well- by Vijay Anand.

The evergreen Dev Anand saab. romance blossomed but met with a tragic end when Suraiya's grandmother didn't approve of their alliance and they were forced to part ways.

Heartbroken, Dev Anand married his co-star Kalpana Kartik. Picked from Hollywood actor Gregory Peck, Dev Anand's rapid style of dialogue delivery, his array of hats, jackets and mufflers, and a penchant for nodding while speaking became his trademark.

The style was widely imitated even while some cast aspersions on his acting abilities. He proved naysayers wrong with a Filmfare best actor award for "Kala Pani" (1958).

His first color film, "Guide", which was directed by his brother Vijay Anand, with Waheeda

Rehman in 1965, became a cult movie and is remembered as one of his best works.

Music remained a highlight of his films. Can anyone forget songs like "Aankhon hi aankhon mein"; "Gata rahe mera dil"; "Hai apna dil to awara"; "Hum bekhudi mein tumko pukare chale gaye"; "Khoya khoya chand"; "Koi sone ke dilwala"; "Main zindagi ka saath nibhata chala"; "Mana janab ne pukara nahi"; "Na tum hame jano"; "Jab pyar kisise hota hai"; and "Dil ka bhanwar kare pukar".

His maiden attempt at direction, "Prem Pujari", flopped. But Dev Anand got lucky with his 1971 "Hare Rama Hare Krishna", which launched Zeenat Aman. Later he introduced Jackie Shroff, Tabu and Richa Sharma to filmdom.

Dev got too involved with himself: Waheeda Mumbai: The ethereal Waheeda Rehman missed the opportunity to meet her co-star Dev Anand one last time, but fondly remembers him as a good producer. She, however, feels in recent times he got too involved with himself.

"Without meaning any disrespect to him, I'd like to say that as the years went by Dev's script sense went more and more haywire. I think he got too involved with himself. Dev was a very good producer. But he needed to look out for better scripts," said Waheeda.

Reminiscing about 'Dev' from Bangalore, Waheeda said: " 'Guide' is not just my most Waheeda did seven films with Dev Anand, iconic film. It is also Dev's most celebrated including ‘Solva Saal’, ‘Kala Bazar’ and his work. Yes, you can act as shocked as you directorial debut ‘Prem Pujari’. like. But the fact is I almost didn't do 'Guide'."

"Eventually, Raj Khosla was replaced by "Hua yun ke, shuroo mein director Raj Khosla Chetan Anand. But he didn't want me! I the. Raj Khosla and I had a difference of opin- laughed. Yeh to achcha hua. One director I didn't ion during an earlier film. I never worked with want and the other director didn't want me. I him after that. And I wasn't willing to change think Chetan Saab wanted Priya Rajvanshji. But that for 'Guide' or any other film. But you know Dev was adamant. They needed a dancer. And how persuasive Dev was. He called up and Priyaji couldn't dance. Eventually, Goldie directsaid,'Come on, Waheeda. Let bygone be ed 'Guide'. That's how I got 'Guide'. The rest, bygones. Everyone makes mistakes.' But I you know. It's a film I'm very proud of." refused to budge. I asked Dev why his brother Waheeda did seven films with Dev Anand, Goldie (Vijay Anand) wasn't directing. But including "Solva Saal", "Kala Bazar" and his Goldie was busy with 'Tere Ghar Ke Samne'." directorial debut "Prem Pujari".

A Tribute to King of Romance TheSouthAsianTimes.info

19

December 10-16, 2011

The brothers Anand: Tracking the Navketan story Chicago: The death of Dev Anand just days before he was set to launch the first book about his pioneering movie production house Navketan is expected to give it poignant relevance.

"Dev Anand was really looking forward to launching the book.

Although one is saddened that that is not to be, I think in a sense his passing gives the book even greater relevance because it is a way of celebrating the achievements of a remarkable man," Sidharth Bhatia, a seasoned journalist and the author of "Cinema Modern - The Navketan Story" (HarperCollins, 180 pages, Rs.1,999), said.

The book traces the history of what has perhaps been India's most progressive movie production house, telling the fascinating story of three brothers -- Dev, Chetan and Vijay - at the dawn of the country's independence successfully putting their spin on the birth of a new nation.

Founded in 1949 by Dev Anand and elder brother Chetan, Navketan notched up impressive successes in movies such as "Baazi", "Taxi Driver", "Funtoosh", "Kala Pani", "Hum Dono", "Jewel Thief", "Tere Ghar ke Saamne", "Hare Rama Hare Krishna" and the overarching "Guide". Most of the Navketan themes were decidedly urban, not preachy and ideologically weighed

Founded in 1949, Navketan notched up impressive successes in movies such as "Baazi", "Taxi Driver", "Funtoosh", "Kala Pani", "Hum Dono", "Jewel Thief", "Tere Ghar ke Saamne", "Hare Rama Hare Krishna" and the overarching "Guide". down by rural idealism that characterised some of their contemporaries.

The trio landed with their feet on the ground rather early in the Navketan story. Bhatia attributes that to the fact that "the Anands were smart, educated people. They had their share of struggle, but they had a wider, fresher worldview.

"Chetan Anand had studied for the ICS (the elite Indian Civil Service), the brothers had both gone to the prestigious Government College in Lahore.

They mixed with a very smart, intellectual lot. So they saw how things in the industry were changing and moved quickly."

Bhatia explains the predomi-

nance of urban themes in Navketan movies saying: "It was their background and their sensibility...Their father was a great believer in British educational experiences.

They mixed in Lahore with the smart young set. The Anands and their friends were heavily influenced by Hollywood. They thought urban, not rural."

Navketan seemed to create a genre that was free from a colonized mindset.

What separated Navketan movies from the other comparable production houses was that it stayed away from what Bhatia calls the "national project", which involved the village in some form or the other.

"India was rural dominated and

'Khoya khoya chand' - Some of Dev Anand's hit songs From Sadhana to Waheeda Rahman, Usha Kiran to Nalini Jaywant, Dev Anand romanced most of the beauties of the black and white era.

The songs picturized on him and his leading ladies boosted his romantic image and made him the heartthrob of millions.

Here are some of the memorable numbers.

"Yeh raat yeh chaandni phir kahaan" ("Jaal" 1952): This was one of the first few hit songs of Dev Anand. It shows him strumming a guitar on a moonlit evening, and singing for his love, played by Geeta Bali.

"Yaad kiya dil ne kahan ho tum" ("Patita" 1953): Another song with beautiful lyrics and lilting music, it was well-picturised on Dev Anand and Usha Kiran. The song is an all time favourite of music lovers.

"Zindagi ke safar mein rahi milte hain bichad jaane ko" ("Munimji" 1954): A peppy number with philosophical lyrics, the song has Dev Anand wooing Nalini Jaywant while driving her in an open jeep.

"Ankhon hi ankhon mein ishara ho gaya" ("C.I.D." 1956): Through the song, the actor expresses his feelings

Dev with Waheeda in ‘Guide’ and’ Kala Bazar’ for his love interest, played by ing with his girlfriend, played by Shakeela.

Sadhana, not to leave so soon and "Chod do anchal zamana kya kahe- spend some more time with him. ga" ("Paying Guest" 1957): A playful "Khoya khoya chand khula asman" number, it is picturised in Dev ("Kala Bazar" 1960): A beautifully Anand and Nutan and even today picturised love song in the outdoors sounds refreshing. with Waheeda Rehman playing the "Hai apna dil to awara" ("Solva love interest. Lyrics and music are Saal" 1958): Shot in a moving train, married so well, that it plays with the the song has Dev Anand playing the listeners' heartstrings. mouth organ and teasing Waheeda "Main zindagi ka saath nibhahata Rehman. chala gaya" ("Hum Dono" 1962): An "Hum bekhudi mein tumko epitome of cinematic nonchalance, pukaare chale gaye" ("Kalapani" the song is a philosophical number 1958): A sad number sung by and shows Dev Anand puffing away Mohammed Rafi, the song remains on a cigarette. one of the best songs picturised on "Gata rahe mera dil" (Guide 1965): Dev Anand.

Dev Anand portrays a man ecstatic in "Abhi na jao chodkar" ("Hum love, the heroine here is Waheeda.

Dono" 1962): An out and out roman- The happy number is sung beautifultic number, it has Dev Anand plead- ly by Kishore Kumar.

Gandhiji had spoken about India being a land of villages. So this preoccupation was natural. The Anands looked at the world differently," he says. That difference manifests itself in the way their movies tackled urban themes; but Bhatia disagrees that they conveyed a sense of settled urbanity.

"In fact, their sense was of unsettled life in the city - poor migrants, people eking out a living at the margins, the underbelly.

Hollywood was experimenting with film noir. I call the Anands' early films Bombay Noir," he says.

One particularly remarkable feature of the Navketan films has to be its progressive treatment of female characters.

"The women in Navketan films were characters all their own.

Even, and especially the 'vamps', were interesting and beguiling characters. Geeta Bali in 'Baazi', Sheila Ramani in 'Taxi Driver', Tanuja in 'Jewel Thief' -- all these were independent women confident of their sexuality.

"Rosy in 'Guide' is in a class of her own; she leaves her husband because he stifles her desire to dance and then leaves her lover because he cheats her.

An unusual character never repeated in Hindi cinema. And this was a film made in 1965 India, remember. Even today a filmmaker would be worried about showing adultery."

Filmography of evergreen star Dev Anand The evergreen Dev Anand charmed audiences with various roles and was one of the few stars who appeared with a range of actresses.

Here is the list of some of his major films and the actresses he worked with them in: * 1980 "Man Pasand" (Tina Munim) * 1980 "Lootmaar" (Tina Munim) * 1973 "Banarasi Babu" (Rakhee Gulzar and Yogeeta Bali) * 1973 "Heera Panna" (Rakhee Gulzar and Zeenat Aman) * 1971 "Hare Raama Hare Krishna" (Mumtaz and Zeenat Aman) * 1971 "Tere Mere Sapne" (Mumtaz) * 1971 "Gambler" (Zaheeda) * 1970 "Johny Mera Naam" (Hema Malini) * 1970 "Prem Pujari" (Waheeda Rehman) * 1969 "Mahal" (Asha Parekh) * 1967 "Jewel Thief" (Vyjayanthimala and Tanuja) * 1965 "Guide" (Waheeda Rehman) * 1965 "Teen Devian" (Nanda, Kalpana and Simi Garewal) * 1963 "Tere Ghar Ke Samne"

(Nutan) * 1962 "Hum Dono" (Sadhna and Nanda) * 1962 "Asli-Naqli" (Sadhna) * 1961 "Jab Pyar Kisise Hota Hai" (Asha Parekh) * 1961 "Maya" (Mala Sinha) * 1960 "Bombai Ka Babu" (Suchitra Sen) * 1960 "Kala Bazar" (Waheeda Rehman and Nanda ) * 1960 "Manzil" (Nutan) * 1958 "Kalapani" (Madhubala and Nalini Jayawant) * 1958 "Solva Saal" (Waheeda Rehman) * 1957 "Nau Do Gyarah" (Kalpana Kartik) * 1957 "Paying Guest" (Nutan) * 1956 "C.I.D." (Shakeela) * 1956 "Funtoosh" (Shiela Ramani) * 1955 "Munimji" (Nalini Jaywant) * 1954 "Taxi Driver" (Kalpana Kartik) * 1953 "Patita" (Usha Kiran) * 1952 "Jaal" (Geeta Bali) * 1951 "Baazi" (Geeta Bali and Kalpana Kartik) * 1948 "Vidya" (Suraiya) * 1948 "Ziddi" (Kamini Kaushal) * 1946 "Hum Ek Hain"

20

Op Ed

December 10-16, 2011

TheSouthAsianTimes.info

Retail FDI: Dearth of a salesman

By Rajdeep Sardesai any said that K e n t u c k y [Kentucky Fried Chicken] will drive the dhabas out of the market.

The dhabas have driven out Kentucky. The Indian sherbet is still there despite Coca Cola and Pepsi. Don’t underestimate India.” That was former NDA finance minister Jaswant Singh in 2004 when supporting FDI in retail.

“Fifty per cent of our population, comprising small traders, street vendors and the self-employed, sustain themselves through retail businesses. The UPA government wants to deprive them of livelihood by allowing FDI in multi-brand retail.” That was another former NDA finance minister Yashwant Sinha last week while protesting FDI in multi-brand retail.What has really changed between 2004 and 2011 for two former finance ministers of the NDA to adopt such contrarian positions? Frankly, little.

Except the fact that in 2004 the NDA under Atal Bihari Vajpayee was an alliance in power; now the NDA is a coalition in opposition, desperate to return to power at the earliest and looking for any opportunity to embarrass the ruling UPA. If in UPA 1, the NDA did a somersault on the India-US nuclear deal, thereby undermining the Vajpayee legacy on foreign policy, in UPA 2 it’s the economic agenda of the Vajpayee years that is in danger of being abandoned.

The NDA alliance which in government pioneered the opening up of the economy in key areas to foreign investment now threatens to turn its back in opposition on the very reforms it once originated.

Foreign retail chains seeking an entry into the Indian market will be hard put to compete with small retailers in economic terms.

Arguments against retail FDI are specious

M

By D.R. Mehta

he issue of higher FDI limits in the retail sector has become highly contentious, resulting in a stalemate. Apart from political parties, the trade organizations are opposing it vociferously and, at times, even violently. An economic issue has thus become highly emotive. The need of the hour is for a rational debate.

In the first place, the apprehension of the existing retailers that they might be displaced deserves to be examined. But the ground realities are different. In fact, foreign retail chains, seeking an entry into the Indian market, will not be in a position to compete with the small retailers in economic terms.

The existing shopkeepers, say in Connaught Place New Delhi, or in any market of metropolises of the country, pay very low rents for their shops.

Comparatively, a foreign chain will have to rent a mall on a premium rent. In terms of the staff and establishment cost also the position of the foreign retail chains will be even more difficult.

A mid-sized Indian retailer may have the owner, his son and, maybe, one or two low paid employees and working for long hours. In comparison, the foreign retail chain will have much larger paraphernalia. It will have to employ more people working for lesser number of hours. Its per unit staff cost will be a multiple of what the existing Indian retailers incur. The cost of training, attiring of staff, larger parking space, air-conditioning,

T The Congress has hastily pushed through the FDI in retail proposal without making any serious attempt to take either the Opposition, its coalition partners or even its own MPs into confidence.

In a sense, the shift only hand, is also in a bind. exposes how contemporary Having scored a series of politics is now almost entire- self-goals, from 2G to Anna ly driven by convenience, to Telangana, an embattled not conviction. The logjam Congress leadership has in Parliament highlights this. been looking to finally break The Left, for example, has free. As a result, it hastily made common cause with pushed through the FDI in the BJP. Still recovering retail proposal without makfrom the mauling it received ing any serious attempt to in the West Bengal elections, take either the Opposition, the communists are trying to its coalition partners or even recapture their traditional its own MPs into confiideological space by project- dence. ing FDI in retail as an ‘antiIs it any wonder then that a poor’, Washington-dictated paralyzed Parliament has agenda. sparked off a populist ‘no But while the Left may be work, no pay’ chant among a prisoner of ideology, what the chattering classes? Our of the BJP, a party that right MPs may not realize it, but through the Vajpayee years there is a dangerous cynihad shown a refreshing will- cism among the electorate ingness to balance its ideo- that is threatening to spiral logical moorings with a out of control. We had a pragmatic approach to gov- trailer of it during Anna ernance? When a Uma Hazare’s agitation in August Bharti threatens to burn when Parliament was down Walmart stores, when besieged by street protests. its UP leadership attempts to That should have served as a revive the Ram Mandir cam- warning that Parliament paign, when its national needs to get its act together, leaders have fanciful notions revive its legislative muscle of bringing back black and become a synthesizer of money to India, when even differing opinion rather than its reform-friendly leaders an arena of perpetual conwarn of dire consequences flict. The time for grandof enhancing foreign invest- standing and obstructionism ment limits, then you begin is over. Remember, Anna is to wonder if the BJP is being already threatening us with a pulled back into the emotive sequel! and destructive politics of a (Rajdeep Sardesai is ediprevious generation. tor-in-chief, IBN 18 The Congress, on the other Network.)

warehousing etc, when added up will be substantially more than the oft-repeated advantage they have on account of bulk purchases.

This is evident from the financial results of the existing large scale Indian chains already in the retail sector.

For example, Reliance Fresh, started with a great hope, is perhaps a financial drag today. One realistic view is that the foreign retail chains will soon burn their fingers and thus will not pose any threat to the existing retailers. In fact, many analysts believe that such foreign retail chains may depart as quickly as they enter the retail market in India because of the likely losses and the resultant pressure of the share holders, who in the west are unsparing.

It is also a known fact that in the west the mark-ups of such foreign chains in retail are substantially more than those charged by the traditional Indian retailers. It is quite possible that the foreign retail chains may be planning on the basis of their western experience, which may not suit the price sensitive Indian consumer.

Besides, the personal service, like immediately home delivery and credit facilities offered by the present retailers in India will continue to attract the consumers.

It is also to be noted that these foreign retail chains will be confining themselves only to the large metropolitan areas, which cover only a small percentage of the total population of India. Thus, the argument that the new

The views expressed in Op Eds are not necessarily those of The South Asian Times.

policy would ruin the existing retailers of rural areas and small towns or the country as whole is specious.

There is yet another aspect of this policy. Supposing, despite what has been reasoned above, the foreign retail chains like Wal-Mart succeed, it will directly benefit large sections of the people. If the prices are lower in the stores run by the foreign chains, consumers would be the gainers. This will curb inflation. India has 120 crore consumers as against a few million retailers and their employees.

Secondly, the farmers are likely to get better prices. In such a situation, is it appropriate to weigh the interest of the middle-men against that of the larger populace?

The existing grocery retail sector seems to be more apprehensive about the new policy. Again this is unfounded. Like others, I have seen umpteen corner stores in London or New York and other cities flourishing. Even a large number of retailers of Indian origin are visible on Oxford Street of London.

Yet another dimension is that owing to competition from the foreign retail chains, the existing retailers will also get more modernized and efficient and quality conscious. Thus in the larger interest of the country, the created hype against the new policy is not understandable.

Indeed, the policy should be welcome.

(The author is a former Chairman SEBI and Dy. Governor of RBI) --As told to Prakash Bhandari in Jaipur

Subcontinent TheSouthAsianTimes.info

21

December 10-16, 2011

Afghan shrine blasts toll rises to 58

Kabul: Twin blasts at Afghan shrines on the Shiite holy day of Ashura left at least 58 people dead, with one massive suicide attack in Kabul ripping through a crowd of worshippers including children.

The attack in the capital and another in the northern city of Mazar-i-Sharif came a day after an international meeting in Germany aimed at charting a course for Afghanistan, 10 years after US-led forces drove the Taliban from power.

The Kabul blast alone killed 54 people, in the deadliest strike on the capital in three years. The Taliban condemned the attacks as "inhumane" and instead blamed the bloodshed on the "invading enemy".

The explosion erupted at the entrance to a riverside shrine in central Kabul, where hundreds of singing Shiite Muslims had gathered to mark Ashura, with men whipping their bare backs as part of the traditional mourning.

"I was there watching people mourning when there was suddenly a huge explosion," witness Ahmad Fawad said.

A young girl, dressed in a green shalwar kameez smeared in blood, stood shrieking, surrounded by the crumpled bodies of slain children.

The explosion erupted at the entrance to a riverside shrine in central Kabul, where hundreds of singing Shiite Muslims had gathered to mark Ashura.

Separately, four people were killed in Mazar-i-Sharif when from the Hazara group suffered brutal persecution, but in another blast struck a shrine in the northern city. It was not recent years sectarian violence has been rare and the Kabul blast is thought to be the worst attack of its kind. immediately clear whether Shiites were the target.

The explosion was caused by a bicycle bomb, said Lal The blasts came the day after delegates at the Bonn conferMohammad Ahmadzai, a police spokesman for northern ence agreed to extend international support for Afghanistan to Afghanistan, adding that another four people were injured.

2024 following the scheduled withdrawal of all foreign combat When the Sunni Taliban ruled in the 1990s, minority Shiites troops by the end of 2014.

Zardari suffers heart attack, may quit: report Washington: Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari, who abruptly left the Pakistan capital for Dubai, has suffered a minor heart attack and some in the US government believe he may even resign on account of "ill-health", a media report said. Zardari left for Dubai to visit his children and also to undergo some medical tests,

Pakistan's official news agency Associated Press of Pakistan had reported.

Though the president's personal physician Col Salman said the proposed medical tests are of routine nature and are linked to a previously diagnosed cardiovascular condition, the Foreign Policy magazine quoted a former US offi-

Will take back Rohingyas: Myanmar

Bangladesh has been hosting thousands of Rohingya refugees in Cox's Bazar district bordering Myanmar for years.

Dhaka: Myanmar has assured Bangladesh of taking back all its nationals – called Rohingyas – staying here as refugees.

At a meeting between Myanmar president U Thein Sein and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at Nay Pyi Taw, the neighboring nation also assured to consider gas exports in the future, state news agency BSS reported. A wide range of issues, including the repatriation of Rohingya, cooperation in the energy sector, creating direct road and air

links, enhancing trade, combating climate change and cooperating in education and tourism, came up for discussion, he said.

Talking about the issue of refugees at the meeting, the prime minister said they have been creating serious social, financial and environmental problems for Bangladesh.

She welcomed the Myanmar government's assurance of taking back the refugees and invited a delegation from Myanmar to encourage them to return home. Bangladesh has been hosting thousands of Rohingya refugees in Cox's Bazar district bordering Myanmar for years.

An estimated 300,000 Rogingya refugees took shelter in 1991-92 as the Myanmar military launched a massive crackdown on the Muslim minority. Bangladesh and Myanmar, with the help of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, has repatriated most of the refugees over the years.

But over 28,000 refugees have refused to return to their homestead fearing either persecution or starvation there. The residual refugees are now housed at Nayapara and Kutupalong camps maintained by the UNHCR.

cial as saying that parts of the US government were informed that Zardari had a "minor heart attack" Monday night. He had flown to Dubai via an air ambulance.

Zardari may have to undergo an angioplasty procedure and may also resign on account of "ill health", the media report said.

Pak-based group claims Afghan attack he spokesman of a Pakistani militant group, Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, claimed responsibility for the attacks in reports broadcast by Radio Free Europe in Pakistan and by the BBC’s Pakistan service.

Lashkar-e-Jhangvi is a Punjabi group with a long history of cooperation with Pakistani’s intelligence service, as well as close ties to al-Qaeda and the Taliban.

T

It is made up of Sunni extremists who believe in the extermination of Shias and has helped drive the rampant sectarian violence between Shia and Sunni groups in Pakistan.

At least 58 people were killed and scores wounded after bombers struck Shia religious observances in three cities, detonating explosives amid crowds of worshipers in the first such sectarian attacks in a decade of war in Afghanistan.

NATO strike: Pak pulls out of liaison posts Islamabad: Pakistan temporarily recalled some troops from border posts meant to coordinate activity with international forces in Afghanistan as US-Pakistan relations have been pushed to an all-time low by NATO airstrikes that killed 24 Pakistani soldiers.

The troops were pulled back for "consultation" on how to improve coordination with NATO and should be back at their posts within the next few days, said Pakistan army spokesman major general Athar Abbas.

Abbas did not specify the number of troops who would be recalled, but said some would remain at the border centers.

The decision, however, highlighted current problems with coordination because US military officials seemed to think it was another retaliatory move by Pakistan for the NATO strikes on November 26.

The American officials feared it would hamper efforts

US-Pakistan relations have been pushed to an all-time low by NATO airstrikes that killed 24 Pakistani soldiers. to liaise with Pakistani forces and increase the risk for another misunderstanding.

Charles Sobhraj review plea rejected Kathmandu: Nepal's highest court rejected a review petition filed by international serial killer Charles Gurumukh Sobhraj, local media reported. Sobhraj (67), who is also known as the “bikini killer”, was arrested in Nepal in 2003 and has been serving a life sentence since.

A French national of Indian and Vietnamese parentage, Sobhraj had asked that the life sentence verdict be reviewed.

That verdict was handed down after he was convicted in the murder of a U.S. citizen, Connie Joe Bronzich, in 1975.

“There is no need to go against the decision of the registrar who had rejected the review petition,” the Himalayan Times news portal quoted Justice Bharat Raj Upreti as saying. Sobhraj, who has also served 21 years in an Indian prison on charges of culpable homicide, has continued to claim his innocence and says 2003 was the first time he travelled to Nepal.

Sobhraj, who has also served 21 years in an Indian prison on charges of culpable homicide, has continued to claim his innocence.

22

Business

December 10-16, 2011

TheSouthAsianTimes.info

Recall of retail FDI disappointing: India Inc New Delhi: Indian industry's euphoria over the government's decision to throw open the country's retail trade to foreign companies gave way to despair Wednesday after Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee announced suspension of the plans owing to political pressure from both within the ruling coalition and outside.

India Inc, which had hailed the decision taken last month as one that signaled a movement forward in the reforms process and that would help farmers, consumers, and small and medium enterprises, felt let down and said it sent wrong signals overseas.

"The government decision to hold back up to 51 percent FDI in multibrand retail and 100 percent in single brand retail is deeply disappointing," said Harsh Mariwala, president, Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI).

India Inc felt let down and said it sent wrong signals overseas.

"It is a highly regressive move.

For the growth of this vital sector of the economy which is likely to result in strong linkages with the farm sector and for the economy as a whole, it is imperative that the

Clothing giant H&M defends ‘Perfect’ virtual models

A spokeswoman for the company’s U.S. operations compared the use of virtual models online to the common retail practice of using mannequins in stores.

New York: Visiting the H&M latest swimsuit and lingerie looks website is not the only virtual appear in generic, stock-form with experience to be had by H&M cus- their left hand resting slightly tomers who choose to order the below their waist, right arm company’s clothes online instead straight and face looking directly of inside one of their 2,300 global ahead. retail stores.

Advertising watchdogs in the Also “completely virtual” are the company’s native Scandanavia elemodels at the center of H&M’s vated the controversy by criticizswimsuit and lingerie online cam- ing the chain of lower-cost clothpaigns, the Swedish-based retailer ing stores for their generic confirmed. approach to models.

“It’s not a real body; it is comThe Norwegian Broadcasting pletely virtual and made by the Corporation, one of the most outcomputer,” H&M press officer spoken groups to criticize H&M, Hacan Andersson told Swedish accused the chain of “creating newspaper Aftonbladet in an arti- unrealistic physical ideals.” cle questioning the company’s picAndersonn defended the compature-perfect online models. ny’s decision to rely on virtual In the Dec. 4 article, translated instead of real models by explaininto English by U.S. celebrity ing that computer-generated bodwebsite Jezebel, Andersson ies would ensure that the garments explained the company’s approach. remain the focus of online shop“We take pictures of the clothes pers’ attention, not the model’s on a doll that stands in the shop, bodies. and then create the human appearA spokeswoman for the compaance with a program on [a] com- ny’s U.S. operations compared the puter,” he said. use of virtual models online to the Images from the company’s common retail practice of using website show models wearing the mannequins in stores.

reforms like these should take place," Mariwala said.

Mukherjee said in parliament that the government was holding back its decision to allow 51 per cent FDI in multi-brand retail.

In a decision taken on Thanksgiving Day, (Thursday, Nov 24), a meeting of the cabinet presided over by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had decided to allow up to 51 percent foreign equity in multi-brand retail and enhance the cap on single-brand format to 100 percent.

But with stiff opposition from both within the ruling United Progressive Alliance (UPA), notably the Trinamool Congress and the DMK, as also the logjam in parliament due to an unrelenting opposition, the decision was "suspended" pending consensus.

"It is unfortunate that such an important and much needed economic reform has been suspended," said Rajan Bharti Mittal, chairman of Bharti-Walmart.

"Allowing FDI in multi-brand retail will benefit India immensely as it will bring investments into development of complete back-end

infrastructure such as cold chain and supply chain that will further enhance efficiencies in the food chain, reduce enormously high levels of wastage, and help contain food inflation," Mittal said.

Expressing disappointment over the issue, Chandrajit Banerjee, director general, Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), said the decision to hold back FDI in retail would have a strong negative impact on investors' sentiment.

"FDI in multi-brand retail would have multifarious advantages to farmers, micro, small and medium enterprise, consumers and government alike," he said.

"Holding back the cabinet decision on foreign direct investment (FDI) in retail due to political opposition is a clear case of missed opportunity that will dent the country's image as a global investment destination," leading industry lobby Assocham said.

Rolls-Royce, HAL setting up aero engines production facility New Delhi: India's public sector Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) and British aero engines manufacturer Rolls-Royce Wednesday commenced construction of a new joint manufacturing facility in Bangalore, where components of Trent family of civil aero engines, marine, and energy gas turbines will be produced beginning 2012.

The production facility, about 7,200 square metres in size, is owned by International Aerospace Manufacturing Private Limited (IAMPL), a joint venture between HAL and Rolls-Royce formed in 2010, according to a release from the company.

IAMPL will incorporate the latest Rolls-Royce manufacturing techniques and create job opportunities for highly-skilled technicians and engineers in India.

Rolls-Royce has about 200 employees in India and

Citigroup to cut 4500 jobs globally Washington: US banking giant Citigroup, led by IndianAmerican Chief Executive Vikram Pandit, is set to lay off about 4,500 employees over the next few months to cut costs amid tough economic times.

Some of the job cuts, representing 1.7 percent of the group's total global headcount of 267000 as at the end of September, would be from the firm's proprietary-trading operations as regulators seek to restrict banks from betting shareholder cash, Pandit said.

As a result, Citi will book a charge of approximately $400 million in the fourth quarter of this year due to severance payments and other expenses associated with the layoffs, he said speaking at the Goldman Sachs Financial Services Conference in New York.

Rolls-Royce has about 200 employees in India.

650 engineers work on a sub-contract basis in engineering centers in Bangalore.

Apple in price-fixing probe London: Apple and five of the world's biggest publishers are under investigation for colluding to push up the price of electronic books by as much as 50 percent, the Daily Mail newspaper reported.

The publishers involved include Rupert Murdoch's HarperCollins, and Penguin, which is owned by Britain's Pearson Group.

The European Commission is probing claims that Apple and the five publishing houses -HarperCollins, Penguin, Hachette Livre, Simon & Schuster and Germany's Verlagsgruppe Georg von Holtzbrinck -- have worked together to keep eBook prices artificially high.

It is also suggested that the arrangement killed competition by ensuring that Apple's rivals, such as Amazon and Kobo, could not undercut its prices.

The boom in eBooks is a goldmine for publishers and technology firms, because the costs are a fraction of those involved in printing,

transporting and selling books.

Despite the savings, the prices of blockbuster eBooks are often higher than the real thing, the Mail said.

For instance, Apple's iTunes store is offering an eBook download of the biography of its founder Steve Jobs for 12.99 pounds.

Amazon charges just 11.97 pounds for the hardback version, the Mail said.

Stephen King's novel 11.22.63 is available for 9.99 pounds as an Apple eBook, compared with 8.20 pounds for the real book from Amazon.

The European Commission announced a probe to discover whether the publishers have "engaged in anti-competitive practices".

International TheSouthAsianTimes.info

23

December 10-16, 2011

Russia elections: Setback for Putin Moscow: Russian strongman Vladimir Putin on Monday suffered the worst election setback of his career as the majority of his ruling party was scythed back in polls marred by claims of violations. Despite failure of ruling United Russia to win even half the vote, monitors said polls had been slanted in its favor and US secretary of state Hillary Clinton said there were "serious concerns�.

While United Russia has managed to keep a much-reduced absolute majority, it appears Putin's once invincible popularity is on the wane ahead of his planned return to the Kremlin

It appears Putin's once invincible popularity is on the wane ahead of his planned return to the Kremlin in 2012.

in 2012.

United Russia obtained 238 seats in the 450-seat State Duma in Sunday's polls, down sharply from the 315 seats it won in the last polls in 2007, election commission chief Vladimir Churov told reporters.

"The word 'Putin' has lost its magic force," concluded analyst Yury Korgunyuk of the INDEM research institute. "These elections brought him nothing good."

This was the first time that Putin or his party had endured a decline in support in an election.

United Russia has also lost the majority of two-thirds required

to pass any changes to the constitution. The party only managed to win 49.35% of the vote, down sharply from over 64% in 2007.

However the opposition protested that United Russia's results would have been even worse in clean polls and the West joined Russian activists in raising alarm about mass cyber attacks on websites and persecution of monitors.

"The contest was slanted in favor of the ruling party," said monitors led by the OSCE, adding there had been "frequent procedural violations" including indications of ballot stuffing.

US for 'transparency' in Chinese Parliament military growth dissolved, Kuwait set for elections Kuwait City: Kuwait Emir Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad AlSabah issued a decree dissolving the Gulf state parliament, state television reported, citing a "threat to supreme national interests".

"An emiri decree has been issued to dissolve the national assembly," the television said.

The action marks the fourth time in less than six years that the emir has dissolved parliament.

"After the obstruction of progress and due to the threat to the supreme national interests it was decided to go back to the nation," the decree said.

The decision came one week after the emir accepted the resignation of former Prime Minister Sheikh Nasser Mohammad alAhmad Al-Sabah, a senior member of the ruling family, following widespread protests led by youth activists.

Under Kuwaiti law, fresh gen-

The action marks the fourth time in less than six years that the emir has dissolved parliament. eral elections must be held within a period of 60 days. Another decree was expected to be issued soon to set the date for the next polls.

Washington: Amid growing uneasiness in the US over the rapid growth of Chinese military power, Washington asserted that Beijing has the right to develop its military but underlined the need for full "transparency".

"The United States views the Asia-Pacific region as a top priority. Our policy is focused on the region and not on any one country in particular," George Little, the Pentagon press secretary told reporters during an off camera news conference.

"With respect to China, they have the right to develop military capabilities and plan just as we do and we repeatedly call for transparency from the Chinese and that's part of the relationship we are continuing to build with the Chinese military. That's important and transparency is the key," Little said.

The remarks came after the Chinese President Hu Jintao urged his navy to prepare for military combat and advance naval modernization as part of effort to safeguard world peace.

The US remarks came after the Chinese President Hu Jintao urged his navy to prepare for military combat and advance naval modernization as part of effort to safeguard world peace.

The navy should "accelerate its transformation and modernization in a sturdy way, and make extended preparations for military combat in order to make greater contributions to safeguard national security and world peace," Hu said in a speech.

China has the right to develop naval forces, said Pentagon spokesman Navy Capt John

Kirby.

"Our naval forces are ready," he noted. "The peaceful rise of China is a good thing for the region, is a good thing for the world. We continue to seek a better military relationship with China. We continue to pursue that.

That is not only in their interest, ours but the entire world as well," Kirby said.

Libya sets deadline for weapons handover Tripoli: Armed residents of the Libyan capital have until the end of December to hand over weapons to authorities, a local government official said.

The uncontrolled ownership of weapons has been a major security concern since the end of the eight-month civil war that toppled Muammar Gaddafi, and rival revolutionary militias who remain armed have clashed repeatedly. ``All individuals must give up their weapons and go back to civilian life or sign up with security forces with the ministries of

defense or interior,'' said AbdelRafik Bu Hajjar, head of Tripoli's city council.

Revolutionary brigades that swept into the capital during the city's fall in August have until Dec. 20 to leave, and the Tripoli brigade itself will dissolve at the end of the month, he told a news conference.

Libya's National Transitional Council has taken a cautious approach to seeking to disarm other fighters nationwide.

Last month, interim-Prime Minister Abdel-Raheem el-Keib said he could not disarm fighters

until he has prepared alternatives, including jobs and training. President Mustafa AbdulJalil seemed to affirm the slower approach Saturday, noting that 75 percent of those carrying weapons are unemployed.

In November, he promised Libya's new leadership would provide them with jobs and support.

The uncontrolled ownership of weapons has been a major security concern since the end of the eight-month civil war that toppled Muammar Gaddafi.

24

Sports

December 10-16, 2011

TheSouthAsianTimes.info

Indian GP confirmed for India face confident West Indies in fourth ODI Oct 2012, US round too New Delhi: Federation Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) confirmed a 20-race calendar for the 2012 Formula One season and the Indian Grand Prix will be held from Oct 26-28 as previously scheduled. The United States Grand Prix was also included in the calendar. The FIA approved the race calendar at a World Motor Sport Council meeting in the national capital where its Annual General Assembly (AGA) is going on from Dec 5. The AGA is happening for the first time in India and will concluded with the FIA Awards Night.

The Indian Grand Prix will again be the 17th race of the season and will take place at the Buddh International Circuit in Greater Noida near here. The inaugural race this year was from Oct 28-30.

The Bahrain round, which was cancelled in March due to civil unrest, will be the fourth race in 2012.

The FIA also announced a host of rule changes for the next season. A three-day test will be allowed during the season as compared to none previously and the maximum duration of a race will limited to fours hours, the FIA said in a statement.

"A maximum race time is to ensure that a lengthy suspension of a race does not result in a race that could run up to eight hours if left unregulated," said the statement.

From now onwards, when safety car

The Indian Grand Prix will again be the 17th race of the season and will take place at the Buddh International Circuit in Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh. returns to the pits all lapped cars will be allowed to unlap themselves and then join the back of the pack, ensuring a clean restart without slower cars impeding those racing for the leading positions.

The cars which were in the pit lane when a race is suspended will now be allowed to rejoin the cars on the grid in the position they were in when the race was halted .

The drivers will not be allowed to move back onto the racing line having moved off it to defend a position.

The 11 set of tyres allocated to a driver can now be used on the first day of practice.

Earlier, only three sets were permitted.

The 2012 season begins with Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne from March 16-18.

Indore: India will have to raise their game against a buoyant West Indies if they are to seal the series in the fourth One-day International at the Holkar Stadium here.

The West Indies showed fighting spirit in the first two ODIs before finally winning the third at Visakhapatnam to keep the five-match series alive. India lead the series 2-1.

India allowed the West Indies to make 269 after having them on mat at 170 for nine in the second ODI. In Ahmedabad, India had things under control until late fireworks by captain Darren Sammy and allrounder Andre Russell took the West Indies to 260 from 181 for five in 45th over.

The score in the end proved enough for the tourist's first win on the tour.

The Caribbean side, however, have already received a setback with in-form batsman and leading scorer of the series Darren Dravo ruled out due to a hamstring injury.

Irfan Pathan, who has

Rohit Sharma, Gautam Gambhir , Suresh Raina, Virender Sehwag and Virat Kohli during the practice session at Indore. been inducted in the squad for the last two ODIs, is likely to play.

The confidence in the West Indies camp must be sky high after their maiden win and they would be keen to end the tour on a high by performing well in the remaining two games.

"Morale of the team is good. So far, we kept seeing we have been coming close.

It is about taking the opportunity, grabbing it and winning," Sammy said on the eve of the match here.

"It is two games left and

most of the guys have been away from home for two and a half months. We want to finish on a high. We have to believe we can win. It is an important game for us and hopefully we can win it and take it down to Chennai for the final."

The West Indies would expect some runs from the openers, who have failed to score in tandem.

The highest opening wicket partnership for them has been 18 that was between Lendl Simmons and Adrian Barath.

Dhoni, Kohli among top-10 ODI batsmen in ICC list Dubai: Pakistani spinners Saeed Ajmal and Mohammed Hafeez dominate the ODI rankings while Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Virat Kohli are the only two Indian batsmen in the top-10 in the latest International Cricket Council (ICC) rankings.

India captain Dhoni dropped one place to the fourth place and is now sharing the place with Kohli, who moved up one place. Rohit Sharma, who has hit three

consecutive half-centuries against the West Indies, moved up 21 places to 35th but Gautam Gambhir lost seven places in the latest rankings to 19th position and is now level with South Africa's JP Duminy.

The 31-year-old Hafeez climbed up six places in the bowlers rankings after a strong performance in the recent threematch series in Bangladesh. He now sits just 19 ratings points behind team-mate Ajmal, who heads the list.

India will miss Bhajji in Australia: Gilchrist New Delhi: Former Australian captain Adam Gilchrist feels that Harbhajan Singh will be missed by India during their tour Down Under as the feisty off-spinner can get under the skin of the champion team.

Harbhajan's slump in form has paved the way for two young spinners Ravichandran Ashwin and Pragyan Ojha to be picked for the four-Test series against Australia. “Bhajji is a great competitor, his fighting qual-

Harbhajan Singh is out of form.

ities are admirable, he is very much like an Australian that way. He will be missed. But a player has to be picked on performances," Gilchrist told reporters when asked about the exclusion of the turbanator.

"Ashwin and Ojha have set very high standards," he added.

India's tour to Australia starts Dec 26 and with both teams fielding new faces in their bowling attack.

Features TheSouthAsianTimes.info

25

December 10-16, 2011

Nurse who brought Rajasthan government to brink

By Prakash Bhandari/ SATimes

Jaipur: A nurse in a government hospital in a sleepy village Borunda in Rajasthan who wanted to become rich and famous and also grew politically ambitious had to lose her life.

She rocked the country when a CD showing her in a sex act with a minister in Rajasthan was aired on a Hindi news channel.

It brought shame to the people in power.

Bhanwari Devi, 38, who was seen in the sex act with the arrested former Rajasthan minister Mahipal Maderna used the tape to blackmail him. She had initially demanded Rs 5 crore for returning the CD containing images of her in compromising position with Maderna. She had even threatened that the Congress government in Rajasthan would fall if she exposed the CD in public showing her relationship with men in

Bhanwari Devi was killed after attempt to blackmail a minister seen in a sex tape with her.

power. AICC general secretary Digvijay Singh has claimed that Bhanwari had relationship with BJP leaders also.

The attractive nurse, mother of three children, had finally struck a deal to make Rs 50 lakh from the henchmen of the minister to surrender the controversial CD. But all she could get was a mere

Rs 2.50 lakh out of the promised sum. This amount she received in August, but in September she was done to death. The greed and attempt at blackmailing cost her the life. She was earning a salary of Rs 17,000 per month but lived beyond her means and possessed two houses and a car.

Bhanwari belonged to the Nat

community, which in Rajasthan is a community of people involved in entertaining the rich and the affluent. The Nat girls are professional dancers and singers who perform at marriages and other celebrations.

Bhanwari hailed from a village near Kishangarh in Ajmer district and after her marriage to Amarchand, she shifted to Jodhpur.

She was a talented dancer and had her private videos also.

Known for charm, she attracted the politicians and the rich and established quick relationship with them. She had claimed that the Congress MLA Malkhan Singh fathered her third girl child and this could be proved with a DNA test. She was a mistress of Malkhan and had traveled twice with him abroad.

Maderna has been charged with criminal conspiracy and abduction with intention to kill.

The CBI filed a charge sheet against three main accused,

Shahabuddin, Baldev Jat and Sohan Lal, in a Jodhpur court last Friday. In it, CBI has given details about recoveries including Bhanwari’s jewelry, a camcorder, some videos, computer, clothes of one of the accused which reportedly had bloodstains and call details of all the accused. CBI has filed charge sheet under sections dealing with abduction and murder along with those under the SC/ST Act. The CBI chargesheet against the three main accused says Maderna assigned the task to his trusted Sahi Ram with a diktat to settle the issue with Bhanwari who was demanding money from Maderna. Sahi Ram Bishnoi, who is the prime accused and is now absconding hatched the plot to eliminate Bhanwari along with Sohan Lal Bishnoi and Shahabuddin and planned to obtain the CD showing Maderna with Bhanwari for Rs 50 lakh.

It’s a season of celebration for the Lake City

By Prakash Bhandari/ SATimes t has been a season of celebration for the Lake City. The beautiful Udaipur’s appetite for awards and accolades seems to be unending. Travel and tour journals that boast of readers’ participation in selecting the “best categories” are showering awards after awards on the Rajasthan city’s various attributes. Condé Nast Traveller India, the prestigious travel magazine, is one of them. It recently launched India’s first ever Readers’ Travel Awards, recognized internationally as a benchmark for excellence in the travel and tourism industry. Readers were invited to vote for their favorite travel experiences by filling out the questionnaire.

Sharing her thoughts on the

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Rajasthan tourism minister Bina Kak receiving the Conde Nast Traveller magazine award from India's tourism minister Subodh Kant Sahay (left).

announcement, Divia Thani Daswani, Editor, Condé Nast Traveller India says, “Our awards are globally acknowledged as the most prestigious awards in the industry, because they are voted for by readers. These are discerning consumers who understand, appreciate and ultimately consume luxury travel products and services. Not only are Indians traveling more than ever before, the entire industry in the country is growing at an unprecedented rate. As all eyes focus on India, it is the perfect time to launch India’s very own Readers’ Travel Awards. These awards acknowledge the best in travel and hospitality. The awards and accolades’ journey for Udaipur began in 2009 when the prestigious US journal Travel + Leisure chose Udaipur through a readership based poll for the annual list of the "World's Best Cities". This accolade proved to be a boom for the city. The die was cast.

The ancient city around a lake has a beautiful palace with some great hotels and superb resorts, including the Taj Lake Palace and the Oberoi Udaivilas. Luxury hotel companies are opening properties there because "they are looking for these very special destinations that are unspoiled, that do offer a very rich and real sense of the culture of the region to guests," the editor of Travel + Leisure, Nancy Novogard observed.

Udaipur City Palace

Now, Conde Nast Traveller ’s India edition has voted Udaipur as the best leisure destination of India.

Udaipur pushed Kerala to the second spot. The Conde Nast award also found The Oberoi Udaivilas and Leela Penta as the best leisure hotels. In the award for the boutique hotels Devgarh Fort pushed Jaipur’s Raj Vilas to the second category to emerge on top. Honors for Udaipur further proved that under the hotel’s Spa category Leela Penta was adjudged the best.

The awards came to Udaipur as leisure destination as it was found that in terms of aesthetics, architecture, child friendliness, climate and scenery, culture, food, nightlife, people and hospitality, range of accommodation, value for money and variety of attractions, there

was no other city better than Udaipur.

Similarly under the leisure hotels category, Udaipur scored over others because of ambience, décor, food, restaurants, leisure facilities, service, comfort of accommodation and value for money.

“Awards after awards, Udaipur has proved that it is a haven for the tourists. I have hopes for Chittorgarh, Delwara and Mount Abu. The Mewar circuit that would include part of Marwar would mean that more and more tourists would come there and the tourism industry should gear up to receive the guests,” said Bhim Singh, veteran tourism expert who owns Rajasthan Tours. The best thing that happened to Udaipur was the conservation of the lakes. Udaipur has faced

water scarcity from its inception due to its geographical location.

The four large water bodies Pichhola, Swaroop Sagar, Fateh Sagar and Badi remained the lake city’s lifelines.

But the condition of the lakes deteriorated sharply in the post independence era. While, unregulated and rapid commercialization escalated the inflow of pollutants, indifferent government machinery that paid scant attention to proper cleaning up operations, only worsened the problem.

But now under a Centrally sponsored scheme under the national conservation of lakes program (NCLP) efforts have been made to ensure that Udaipur lakes would get water from the Dewas project and the water from the project would be flowed to fill the Pichhola, Fateh Sagar and Swaroop Sagar lakes.

“Under the scheme Rs 84.75 crores were sanctioned for Pichhola and Rs 41.86 crores for the Fateh Sagar lake. With these funds the desilting, lake development, sewage interception and diversion, water quality monitoring, IEC activities, afforestation and aeration etc are being done. Various government departments like irrigation, public health (PHED), municipality, urban Improvement Trust (UIT) and fisheries department are undertaking the job,” said Anil Nepaliya, the executive engineer of UIT, Udaipur.

26

Ultimate Bollywood

December 10-16, 2011

TheSouthAsianTimes.info

'The Dirty Picture': Needlessly smutty s it a voyeuristic peep-eye or the projection of a woman who lives life on her own terms? Does it hold up a mirror to an exploitative society or actually become part of it? The lines keep blurring in "The Dirty Picture", leaving the movie about a southern sex star's rise to fame in the 1980s film industry and her tragic fall from it an inchoate, confused mess.

The film begins with the lofty quote from Friedrich Nietzsche: "You must have chaos within you to give birth to a dancing star." And opens with a young Reshma (Vidya Balan in a bravura performance) falling off a ladder, confident her mother will be there to pick her up. The dark abyss after that is telling. There she is, now a young woman, laughing delightfully at the discomfiture of a couple making out in the room next door with her moans accompanying the creaking of the bed.

Reshma evolves into Silk, enters the movies and claws her way to the top using the aging superstar Surya (Naseeruddin Shah).

The problem with "The Dirty Picture" is that we never really get a grip on Silk's character. Here is a woman who revels in her body, looks on knowingly as the filmmaker

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REVIEW offering her first job watches her lustily and, given her first stab in front of the camera, wants to impress the choreographer and unasked sheds it all - clothes and inhibitions.

Wan, worn out and broke, she ends her life, alone in her big house. The once star wears a red, bridal sari, puts on a bindi and lies down for that endless sleep.

Is it an unrequited desire? Did this very unconventional sex symbol really want marriage and two kids? We don't really know because there has been plenty of sex, but little romance so far.

The filmmaker seems confused, and so is the audience.

The performances are pretty good.

This is Vidya's film through and through, she gets under the skin of the character. The uninhibited portrayal of that frank, unabashed sexuality could have been saved for a better film. Remember the sizzle and subtlety of "Ishqiya"?

The problem with "The Dirty Picture" is that we never really get a grip on Silk Smitha's character.

Sonshine for Aamir and Kiran

Aamir Khan confirmed that they went for IVF-surrogacy due to medical complications. amir Khan and Kiran Rao are blessed with a baby boy. And if you are surprised how you never heard of it earlier, it is because the child was born through IVF to a surrogate mother.

The delivery happened on December 1 at a private clinic in Mumbai.

Aamir Khan confirmed that they went for IVF-surrogacy due to medical complications.

Expectedly both Aamir Khan and Kiran Rao are elated to have the baby.

The news took the whole industry by surprise, especially because Kiran had been spotted at different events without the least hint of a baby bump.

But now, the reason is clear, as Aamir and Kiran announced the latest arrival in their family with a press statement.

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"It gives us the greatest joy to share with you the good news of the birth of our baby boy.

This baby is especially dear to us because he was born to us after a long wait and some difficulty. Due to medical complications, we were advised to have a baby through IVF-surrogacy, and we feel very grateful to the Almighty that all has gone well.

We are humbled by the greatness of God, the miracles of science, and the kindness and love of our families and friends in being there for us while respecting our privacy.

We seek your good wishes and blessings for our child," said the statement from the couple.

Aamir Khan has two kids from his first wife, Reena Dutta - a son named Junaid and a daughter named Ira.

Madonna to perform at the Super Bowl adonna has been confirmed to perform at the Super Bowl XLVI Half Time Show in February. The 'Frozen' singer will play during the break in the NFL final, a highly coveted slot which achieves some of the highest TV ratings annually. Madonna will work on a special stage show with the team behind the Cirque du Soleil modern circus shows.

A statement on her website reads: "The Material Girl has partnered with a creative team from Cirque du Soleil, Jamie King, and multimedia artists from Moment Factory, to create a signature performance for the Super Bowl's Half Time Show, which will be broadcast worldwide."

The show will take place at the Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis on February 5, around the same time Madonna will release her new album, and it has been rumored she will preview her new single at the event. It has been claimed the singer beat off competition from Lady Gaga to land the gig.

Last year, 162 million people tuned in to see the Black Eyed Peas perform at the Super Bowl.

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Last year, 162 million people tuned in to see the Black Eyed Peas perform at the Super Bowl.

Symonds to enter 'Bigg Boss 5' ustralian cricket allrounder Andrew Symonds is set to enter the "Bigg Boss 5" house this week.

Symonds will be the second international celebrity to enter the Colors' show after IndoCanadian porn star Sunny Leone.

He will enter the show as a participant, said a source from the channel.

The 36-year-old will address a press conference to make a formal announcement of his entry in the show in Mumbai.

Some of the remaining contenders include Mahek Chahal, Juhi Parmar, Akashdeep Saigal, Siddharth Bharadwaj, Shonali Nagrani, and Amar Upadhyay, apart from Sunny.

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The 36-year-old will address a press conference to make a formal announcement of his entry in the show in Mumbai.

Ultimate Bollywood TheSouthAsianTimes.info

December 10-16, 2011

Tom Cruise wows Mumbai fans

ignaling a new era of co-operation between Bollywood and Hollywood, Hollywood star Tom Cruise was accorded a red carpet treatment at a special pre-release screening of his forthcoming movie "Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol", over a fortnight before its global release on December 21.

Wearing a blue shirt and jeans, keeping in mind Mumbai's warm weather, Cruise, 49, was at his charismatic best, even as his host and co-star, Anil Kapoor, beamed with pride at the Imax Cinema in Wadala in central Mumbai.

When Cruise, Patton and Kapoor - who plays telecom tycoon Brij Nath in the film arrived, they were throatily cheered by the gathering.

Cruise and co-star Paula Patton spent nearly two hours wowing and directly interacting with their fans, happily signing autographs, accepting their good wishes for the movie, which nearly 1,500 of them watched.

"I have wanted to come here all my life. I kept telling Anil, a great actor and an

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Tom Cruise, Paula Patton and Anil Kapoor at the special screening of 'Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol' in Mumbai.

Hrithik Roshan is the sexiest Asian man

incredible host, 'I promise you I will come to India'. Yesterday when we were at the Taj Mahal, I told him 'You have to pinch me. I can't believe I am here'," said a smiling Cruise.

Asked about his experience in India, Cruise said he met Kapoor and became friends with him when he gave away the Golden Globe Award to the "Slumdog Millionaire" team, which included the Indian actor.

Asked whether he was familiar with Indian cinema, Cruise said: "Yes, I know some of them. You make so many movies. I don't know all of them. But, you have made many great films, and have great film-makers and actors here."

Referring to the film in which he plays an IMF agent Ethan Hunt accused of a terrorist bombing in the Kremlin, leading to USRussia tension, Cruise said he was excited working the movie's director, Brad Bird. In the traditional hallmark of the MI franchise, the latest one provides ultra-high adrenaline action supported by a racy script that keeps the viewer on the edge of the seat.

Karisma, Abhishek on good terms again? pulled off, but Karisma and Abhishek went their own way.

However, with both of them being well-settled now, in a private space of their own with their respective spouses and families, Karisma thought it only right to walk over to Jaya Bachchan, her once-upon-a-time to-be-motherin-law and greet her. The greeting was cordial, and even a warm hug followed a few lines of interaction.

iracles happen. And this one happened at an event recently, where Karisma Kapoor was being bestowed the style icon of the year tag.

Well, the Kapoors and Bachchans seem to have warmly made up if the cordial and warm hug between Karisma Kapoor and Jaya Bachchan is anything to go by.

It can be remembered that Karisma Kapoor was once engaged to Abhishek Bachchan, until all hell broke loose and the engagement was called off.

Everyone still doesn't know why the rings on the fingers were

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According to a survey conducted by the Eastern Eye Weekly, Hrithik, 37, beat off tough competition from high profile stars to top the 50-strong list.

ollywood star Hrithik Roshan has emerged as the sexiest Asian Man in the World of the year 2011.

According to a survey conducted by the Eastern Eye Weekly, Hrithik, 37, beat off tough competition from high profile stars to top the 50strong list.

Described by many as a Greek God, Hrithik went back to winning ways in 2011 playing the lead role in mega-hit movie Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara and also had his wax statue added to the Madame Tussauds museum in London.

"Hrithik is a worthy winner

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27

and a leading man with global appeal. This year there was a massive gap between Hrithik and the rest of the competitors.

He is the perfect ambassador for India and someone who could take on anyone in Hollywood in terms of looks, talent and likability," said Asjad Nazir, Eastern Eye showbiz editor.

Indian batsman Virat Kohli at 18, was the highest new entry in the 2011 list. Other big named new entries included Abhishek Bachchan at 17, Prateik Babbar at 20, Ajay Devgn at 29 and Farhan Akhtar at 34.

It can be remembered that Karisma Kapoor was once engaged to Abhishek Bachchan, until all hell broke loose and the engagement was called off.

I always dreamt of making films: Tom om Cruise made a mark for himself as an actor and filmmaker in Hollwyood and the star confesses that he dreamt of making films ever since he was four years old.

"I think it's about the 20th film I have produced. I love cinema, I love movies and my whole life. Since when I was 4 years old, I remember I dreamt of making movies, so I started producing," said the 49-year-old actor who turned

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producer with "Mission Impossible" and continued it with movie like "Vanilla Sky", "The Last Samurai" and "Mission Impossible III". "'Mission Impossible' was the film I produced and I came up with the idea of making the series into movies because, as a child, I saw the series and I thought it would make a great film because there wasn't anything like that. And you know it's fun hiring directors, writers and

being involved in casting and story," he added.

"Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol" also features Paula Patton, Jeremy Renner, Simon Pegg, Michael Nyqvist and Bollywood actor Anil Kapoor.

Meanwhile, Cruise is very clear about continuing with the "Mission Impossible" franchise.

"There are lots of stories and lots of places to go," said the actor who has spent 30 long years in the movie industry.

28

Humor

December 10-16, 2011

TheSouthAsianTimes.info

Humor with Melvin Durai

Prayer requests via Facebook s part of an ongoing effort to get more young people to participate in church, Good Shepherd United Church decided to accept prayer requests on its Facebook page and print them in its weekly bulletin. Pastor Jim Williams was pleased to see the entire congregation, young and old, reading the bulletin with great interest the following Sunday.

watching LeBron come up short.

Please pray for Sunita, who is struggling with temptation and wondering why she couldn’t find employment at some place other than Baskin-Robbins. Pray that she doesn’t eat herself out of a job.

Please pray for Dawn, who is having a health issue. Her doctor says

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Prayer Requests: Please pray for C.J. as he awaits the results of an important test. His classmate Jenny recently gave birth to a baby boy and is having a paternity test done. Pray that C.J. isn’t the father, but if he indeed is, please pray that he has the strength to face his parents. Please keep Mike in your prayers as he tries his best to get tickets to the U-2 concert next week.

Also pray that he doesn’t have to pay too much for the tickets, and if he does, please pray for the souls of the ticket scalpers.

Please pray that Harumi can overcome his addiction to viewing certain pictures and videos on the Internet, which is affecting his work and family life. He wants desperately to overcome his obsession with Will and Kate. Please pray that Heather will have success with her experiment in

she needs to lose weight, but if she doesn’t get a little bigger, she won’t create enough space for a Justin Bieber tattoo.

Please pray for Jack, who just lost three friends. He doesn’t know why they unfriended him on Facebook.

Pray that his prayer request results in a few more friend requests.

Laughter is the Best Medicine

chemistry class. There is a cute guy in the class and she is experimenting playing hard to get.

Please pray that Mukesh can solve his Visa issues and bring his wife and children from India. He wants to buy airline tickets and needs a new Visa card to charge them to.

Please keep Veronica in your prayers as she begins a new phase in her life. Pray that she has the strength to survive without Oprah.

Please pray for Joanne, who strongly desires to tie the knot with her boyfriend, Ron. Pray that everything works out for her and that Ron finally gets the hint.

Please pray for Prince, who is trying desperately to get some money out of Nigeria and needs someone’s help. Please keep Justin in your prayers as he faces a difficult decision in his life: whether to buy a Nintendo Wii or a Sony PlayStation.

Help him get the direction he needs.

Please pray for Carson, who promises to come to church every Sunday for the rest of his life if he manages to pass his Grade 12 math exam.

Please pray for Miguel, who is recovering from a big loss and still can’t understand how the Mavericks beat the Heat. Pray that he has the strength to endure another season of

by Mahendra Shah Mahendra Shah is an architect by education, entrepreneur by profession, artist and humorist, cartoonist and writer by hobby. He has been recording the plight of the immigrant Indians for the past many years in his cartoons.

Hailing from Gujarat, he lives in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Tech Life

Google mulling online retail move: Wall Street Journal San Francisco: Internet powerhouse Google is in talks with major retailers about an online shopping service that would deliver purchases to buyers within 24 hours, The Wall Street Journal reported Thursday.

Such a service would be a direct challenge to e-commerce king Amazon.com, which promises one- to two-day delivery on purchases by people who pay $79 annually to be members of a Prime program that comes with added perks.

Google has reportedly reached out to major US retail businesses, including Macy's, OfficeMax and Gap Inc. "They've approached us with the idea, but we haven't made any deci-

sions," a Macy's spokesman told the Journal.

Amazon has been gaining ground in the online advertising market as shoppers use the online retailer's website for searches instead of Google or other services. Online ads are Google's main source of revenue.

Amazon's influence is growing with the allure of online videos and other content for Prime members.

Google, on the other hand, has been weighing into the online retail market with features such as coupons for deals at local businesses and Android smartphones that can double as electronic wallets to pay in stores.decision.

Coming soon, computers that can predict future London: The European Union is all set to fund a 900 million-pound scheme to produce a computer system that could predict spread of diseases and impending financial meltdowns.

The Living Earth Simulator Project (LES), which has been backed by leading scientists, aims to "simulate everything" on the planet, using anything from tweets to government statistics to map out social trends and predict the next economic crisis. Using vast reams of data fed into the Internet, trends can be spotted by analyzing information with "the world's most powerful computers".

The man behind the idea has billed it as a "nervous system for the planet", while academics have backed it as a replacement for current outdated economic models. "The idea is to gather live information from a huge range of sources and then analyse it using the world's most powerful computers," the Daily Mail quoted Dirk Helbing, one

of the leaders of the project at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich as telling the Sunday Times.

"Many problems we have today - including social and economic instabilities, wars, disease spreading - are related to human behavior but there is apparently a serious lack of understanding regarding how society and the economy work," he said.

According to Helbing, the LES would be able to predict the spread of infectious disease such as Swine Flu, identify methods for tackling climate change and even spot an impending financial crisis.

Around 30 leading computer science centres worldwide have already pledged their support for the supercomputer, including three in Britain.

Oxford University, University College London ( UCL) and Edinburgh University have also formed the FuturICT consortium to help push ahead with plans for the project.

Astrology TheSouthAsianTimes.info

December 10-16, 2011

By Dr Prem Kumar Sharma Stars Foretell: December 10-16, 2011 Aries: This week you will take things lightly and will be in an easy going mood.

You will spend more time on hobbies, join a gym or get busy with self-improvement projects. Be careful not to get involved in easy money making schemes. Gambling certainly is not on your card.

You should try to put some extra time and energy into learning additional knowledge and skills that will help you further in your career.

Taurus : It will be necessary that you take special care of your health and take extra rest this week. If hectic work schedule is putting you under stress, it will be essential for you to seek help from colleagues. You might even feel depressed and irritated but it will only be a temporary phase. Take trips that will provide you with entertainment, little adventure and knowledge. Exciting weekend with friends will help you get back your lost spirits.

Gemini: This week you can do wonders to your reputation by helping those who are under extreme mental pressure. Your convincing power will have a deep impact and people will praise for your efforts. Your moneymaking ideas will be highly lucrative. Deals related to land, home, and property will bring favourable results. Recognition and rewards for scholars and artists during this period cannot be ruled out.

Cancer : This is not the good phase to initiate change. Depending on others for assistance will not bring expected results. Disagreements with partners will make it difficult for you to carry out your plans. Although you will get substantial time with your beloved but your relationship will suffer due to arguments and silly contradictions.

This temporary phase will soon be over till then you need to spend maximum time with friends, go out for a vacation or do things that will keep you relaxed.

Leo: This week you will have all-important information right at your fingertips.

You will have influential and experienced people all around you, but avoid putting too much money into any financial schemes just on the advice of others. Do things that will improve your health since your body will be highly receptive to change. Sudden good news later in the week brings happiness and cheers for the entire family.

Virgo: Young Virgo’s certainly have a period to rejoice. Good surprises will keep you in a delightful mood, mostly concerning the love of your life. Your career and your earning ability will also take an upward climb and your position will strengthen amongst your peers.

Your original ideas will win acceptance from others, and people will seek your advice. But you will be overly tired and need extra rest towards the weekend. Do not ignore your health, and exercise to keep in perfect shape.

Libra: Go after challenging jobs. A close friend will join you in completing difficult task. A highly result oriented week when you should not deviate from your goals. Even though your career is progressing nicely and you will find yourself in a higher earnings bracket very shortly, looking for small part-time projects to

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increase your earning ability will definitely bring good results. Problems in your personal life will enlarge beyond your expectations, if you are not open about how you feel.

Scorpio: This week you will have extra energy, therefore you should complete pending jobs and assignments before things become difficult for you to handle. You should focus on career goals and social activities.

Businessmen and investors will see past investments reaping profits. Good week to call important people over to your place, as you will gain valuable knowledge and information.

Opportunities to travel to a distant place for some.

Sagittarius: A little overtime will help you decrease your workload. As your energy will be high and you will achieve more than what you might expect. Although office pressures will increase, you still need to take some time out to listen tso the problems that face family members. Little time for meditation and yoga will be important for mental as well as physical gains. Investment needs to be handled with care.

Capricorn: This week you should make appropriate efforts to win confidence of everyone who is with you and handling important jobs. Your seniors will notice your dedication and it will work in your favour. Spouse will be caring and provide you with love and affection. Go for social events that will improve your social circle.

Added knowledge that you acquire this week, will give you advantage in your career.

Aquarius: This week your personal life will be so exciting that you will have little time for anything else. Your ability to stand out in the crowd will bring you popularity and recognition. Your energy will be high and competitive games will attract you. Your love life will blossom as you receive gifts and presents. Great period to go out for shopping of expensive items and jewelry. You are likely to build new contacts through old one.

Pisces: Although you will be working overtime for the completion of important projects, legal pressures, govt. rules and regulations will pose some problems. Your public image will be at stake with this project so do not leave any stone unturned to achieve your goals.

Your spouse loves you and will take care of you like nobody else.

Try not to overspend on visitors and guests, although gifts and presents will be plenty.

Before you consult... i) Accurate Data: Please make sure Date, Time and Place of birth is accurate. ii) Careful: Did you check background of the astrologer before disclosing your secrets. iii) Fee: Discuss the charges before, don’t feel shy. It’s his business. iv) Expectation: Expect the best, if the outcome is not as desired, never give up. v) Consult: Take second opinion before spending thousands on cure/remedies.

Chandigarh, India: +91-172- 256 2832, 257 2874 Delhi, India: +91-11- 2644 9898, 2648 9899 psharma@premastrologer.com; www.premastrologer.com

Annual Predictions: For those born in this week December 10: Governed by number 1 and the Sun. You are active, dynamic, authoritative, brilliant and a talented person.

You always welcome new ideas and thoughts, but you need to check your tendency to behave extravagant and stubborn at times. The coming year brings you many opportunities to fulfill your dreams. A pleasure trip to an exotic destination would be high on your agenda. Also during this period you will establish new contacts and fruitful partnerships. Long expected monetary benefits will accrue. Speculation and unexpected gains will make your financial position much better than expected. But despite all goodies, minor tensions and stress will always bother you especially concerning health of your parents and increase in household expenditure. Your spouse would be supportive to your concerns and provide you with love and affection, but children might take advantage of your generous behaviour and cause some disappointment. August, December and April seem to be significant.

December 11: Ruled by number 2 and the Moon. You are simple, honest, cooperative, love peace and harmony. You are full of new and innovative ideas and simply a perfectionist in whatever work you decide to do, but you need to control your tendency to be whimsical and jealous at times. Your coming year promises many new surprises and rewards for you. Your long desires are likely to be fulfilled this year. New sources of income will improve your financial position and boost your confidence. Journeys undertaken for work purpose would be beneficial and highly rewarding. Investment in a house and selected stocks recommended. Later in the year a distant trip overseas bring new opportunities for growth and a chance to meet old associates. Legal matters are likely to be extended for much longer than expected and also prove highly expensive. Children will win laurels in their respective fields and will be supportive and understanding towards you. July, November, January and Dec will bring prosperity.

December 12: Ruled by number 3 and the planet Jupiter. You are ambitious, dignified, independent and kind hearted. You enjoy a good position and respect at your work place, but you need to check your tendency to behave extravagant and dominating at times. Don’t be hesitant in executing your new plans in the coming year.

Fame and fortune will be at your doorsteps provided you are able to grab the right opportunities. New relationships and attachments will develop bringing you good opportunities through out the year. Gains from speculation are also quite likely. People looking for matrimonial alliances will find a suitable life partner.

Health will show improvement despite the hectic hours that you might put in office. Foreign transactions or foreign trips for some. June, August and February will be eventful.

December 13: Influenced by number 4 and the planet Uranus. You are active, practical, enthusiastic, authoritative and energetic. You are intelligent and can do wonders in your profession with your ability and proficiency, but you need to control your tendencies to behave impatient, whimsical and stubborn at times. New proposals and assignments for you this year. Business will flourish and financial gains will lift your confidence.

Legal matters that have been haunting your mind will settle to your satisfaction. Promotions and increments are likely for some. Relationship with somebody

close might get strained over trivial issues. Romance and new alliances look likely for those unattached.

Elders and children in the family will demand a lot of your attention. Health of your spouse Dec cause concern and anxiety. Sportsmen and artists can look forward to some fame towards the end of the year. July, November, February and Dec will be significant.

December 14: Governed by number 5 and the planet Mercury. You are practical, sharp, dignified, sensitive, original and dashing. You are friendly and very helpful, but you need to control your tendency to behave impatient and short-tempered at times. A very promising and favourable period starts this year. Investors who speculate in the stock market will benefit financially.

Those involved in art and other creative profession should expect recognition and monetary gains. Sudden help from some near one or a friend will bring a major boost to your professional career. This is also a good time to invest in property. Children will be supportive and bring in some happy news later in the year. Pilgrimage or a long journey would be high on your cards. September, November, March and June will prove to be significant.

December 15: Ruled by number 6 and the planet Venus. You have a pleasant personality, sharp memory and you are fond of worldly pleasures. You stay ahead of others because of your interest in new things and new technology, but you need to control your tendencies towards moodiness, timidity and interference in the affairs of others. This period is good for you to take important decision. You shall gather knowledge, information and make new and long lasting contacts. You shall leave no stone unturned to achieve your desired goals.

Businessmen will expand their ventures into new and more profitable avenues. Investment in stocks would bring spectacular results. Health would definitely need more attention. Meditation and Yoga should be practiced for spiritual as well as physical gains. Some exhilarating news from your children would boost up your spirits later in the year. August, October and April will be eventful.

December 16: Influenced by number 7 and the planet Neptune, you are energetic, ambitious, independent, honest and possess a sharp memory. You are highly innovative and have an in built talent to impress others, but at times you need to control your tendency to behave impatient and erratic at times. This year you will see an improvement in your financial position, but there will be an increase in your expenses as well. Put your efforts on projects that promise long term gains without wasting much time on small problems. Only selective investment will be rewarding and you should avoid speculation on all fronts. Arrival of guests and relatives during this period will be plenty, who will bring you gifts in cash and kind. Employment opportunities for some of you. Romance will be pleasant and will add a spice to your life. The months of September, February and April will be highly significant.

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Spiritual Awareness

December 10-16, 2011

TheSouthAsianTimes.info

Silence is important for meditation Part two of the discourse 'Stay still for God'

By Sant Rajinder Singh Ji Maharaj hen people are playing golf, and the golfer is on the tee box, the custom is that no one watching is allowed to speak. There may be thousands of people watching a golf tournament, and they all are able to keep silent long enough for the golfer to take a swing.

Those who have a full eye exam from an eye doctor are told to look into the light without blinking for as long as they can.

The doctor’s light is bright and it hurts the eyes to stare into, but we still do it because we know it is part of the exam. We are told to keep looking at the light, do not move, and do not blink.

There are so many instances in worldly life, when we are able to stay silent. Yet, somehow, when it comes to meditation, we can neither stay still physically nor mentally. If we can stare into the eye doctor’s painful light for many minutes without moving or blinking, then how is it that we cannot gaze continually into the inner Light, which is not painful, but loving and warm, without mentally moving or blinking?

Why is silence and stillness so important in meditation? We say we want to find God. But God can only be found in the stillness of our soul. We need to shut down the chatter of the world to hear God within. God comes to us within in the form of a divine Current. This Current is both radiant Light and celestial Sound.

To see and hear it within, we need to silence the outer world and silence our thoughts.

We need to sit physically still without any part of our body moving. We need to close our eyes. Then, we need to keep mentally still so no thoughts disrupt the silence needed to focus our attention into gazing within.

All great saints practiced and perfected sitting in silence. For example, when Baba Jaimal Singh Ji Maharaj moved to Beas, he moved into a small hut made

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of straw and branches. The hut was eight feet long by eight feet wide. It was then plastered with mud and a small cave was dug out. He would go into the cave and meditate in there for days.

Sometimes he would stay in meditation there for two weeks, going without any food, as he was absorbed in the inner spiritual journey.

Sant Kirpal Singh Ji Maharaj used to meditate up to eight hours a day, even when he held a full time job, raised a family and did selfless service. He would sometimes meditate by the river and even sit on a rock as a way to stay awake all night in meditation.

We can see the efforts put in by spiritual Masters to perfect the art of stillness required for medita-

Whether we are eating food for taste, nutrition, or weight loss, we are still spending a considerable amount of time on feeding our body. It takes time to shop, to buy the ingredients we want, time to prepare the dishes, time to eat them, and then time to clean the pots and dishes.

We spend time daily showering or bathing to keep our bodies clean, washing our hair, brushing our teeth, flossing, cleaning our nails, and all the other tasks involved in maintaining our bodies.

We do all these repetitive tasks until our goal is achieved.

Similarly, we are able to maintain mental stillness and concentration for worldly tasks without much problem. Look at how we

ble shutting out the rest of their worldly responsibilities, including their children at home with the babysitter, or even their Blackberry or text messages, during the movie, without any problems. Yet, how is it that when it comes to sitting still to concentrate within in meditation, we cannot concentrate for more than a few minutes?

Staying silent for any reason begins with desire and passion.

Whatever we want to do we can achieve. If we have a desire to improve our body, we learn how to silence any distractions to accomplish our goal. If we desire to improve our mind or entertain our mind, we have no trouble silencing any interruptions to achieve our desired outcome.

where there is no oxygen and face dangers such as the cord breaking, causing them to float off to their death in space. Yet, these people put their mind to doing these feats and achieved it.

If we ever watched the Olympics, we are awed by the tremendous feats that athletes train themselves to do with their physical bodies. We marvel at their ski jumps, hurdles, gymnastics routines, or amazing triple jumps while skating. We wonder how they can hurl their body into the air and do all those gyrations, seemingly defying laws of gravity. Yet, they set their mind to it and their body followed along.

In marathon races people test their stamina and endurance to run miles and miles. We marvel

We say we want to find God. But God can only be found in the stillness of our soul. We need to shut down the chatter of the world to hear God within. God comes to us within in the form of a divine Current. This Current is both radiant Light and celestial Sound.

To see and hear it within, we need to silence the outer world and silence our thoughts. tion progress. Can we expect to achieve the results we want when we can barely be still for a few minutes?

Physical stillness requires control of our body. It is remarkable how much control we exercise over our body when it comes to worldly pursuits.

For example, look at how many tasks we do to get our body in shape. We force ourselves to do aerobic exercises by spending twenty to thirty minutes a day on a treadmill or taking a brisk walk.

We find time to do this to keep up our cardiovascular system. We spend time daily when we feel the need to lift weights or do workouts to keep fit and build our muscles. We snatch away time from our other pursuits when we feel something is important.

We spend time daily preparing food that we feel will be delicious, nutritious or weight-reducing. This reminds me of a humorous story. A family had decided to all go on a diet. The husband was on a diet, the wife was on a diet, and the kids were on a diet.

After many months, the husband remarked, "This does not seem fair. We have been on a diet for months and we are not losing weight. The only thing losing weight is the refrigerator."

concentrate mentally on different tasks in our everyday lives.

For example, if we are going to school, we study for hours. When we want to pass a course or test, we find a way to tune out everything else and mentally focus on studying. We spend hours memorizing facts and figures. We train ourselves to turn off the television and take time away from our video games and friends to concentrate.

Those who are in the computer field learn how to concentrate on the detailed task of writing computer code. They must concentrate with intensity lest they mess up the code!

If we want to play a video game or a challenging game like chess, we find no trouble tuning out all distractions to concentrate on what we are doing.

Millions of people read books and can do so in a crowded airport or train, at home with children running around the house, or even while the television is playing. When we want to concentrate on reading, we are able to train our mind to tune out all other noises and focus only on the words on a page.

Millions of people go to the movies. A movie may last two or three hours. People have no trou-

Look at all the amazing tasks humans do when they have a desire and how they put in time to make their dreams a reality.

For example, people have figured out how to put a human being on the moon. Who could imagine that someone walking on earth, pulled down by gravity, could rise out of the earth’s gravitational pull, travel through oxygenless space, land on a moon, without any oxygen, walk on that lifeless surface, and come back alive.

It is remarkable. Yet, someone had the dream to make it happen and then set in motion all the necessary steps for it to become a reality. If we can put a physical body on a moon, why cannot we take our spirit and return it to the spiritual realms from where it came? All it takes is the desire to do so and a will to follow the instructions to make it happen, and it will happen.

Another example of making a dream into a reality is that of the astronauts who are able to leave the space shuttle to do a spacewalk safely and even make repairs or upgrades to the ship. Is that anything less than amazing?

Some people are afraid to lean out their window on a second floor or higher lest they fall. Yet, astronauts venture out to space,

at how they do it. Yet, they had a goal and worked day after day to increase their ability to run. They not only trained their body, but they trained their mind to keep at the task until they achieved their goal.

Some people can barely swim across a pool, yet there are people who train themselves to swim the English Channel. We wonder how it is possible. But someone had that desire and worked hard to make it happen.

If we look at the field of medicine, we marvel at how doctors have created ways to transplant an organ such as the heart or do delicate brain surgery. For centuries no one could have dreamed these treatments possible, yet people had the idea to develop these methods, and they worked hard to make it reality.

(To be continued..)

Sant Rajinder Singh Ji Maharaj is an internationally recognized spiritual leader and Master of Jyoti Meditation who affirms the transcendent oneness at the heart of all religions and mystic traditions, emphasizing ethical living and meditation as building blocks for achieving inner and outer peace. www.sos.org.